Season ushers in new powerhouse

Published: Thursday, December 10, 1998

Thursday, December 10, 1998

ADJUSTMENTS: Early games condition team for conference battles

By A. CinQue Carter

Daily Bruin Staff

As wake-up calls go, the UCLA women's basketball team had two rather unpleasant ones to open the 1998-1999 campaign.

The Bruins lost their season opener to No. 7 Notre Dame (6-1) and their home opener to No. 1 UConn (7-0), teams with a combined one loss.

However, the Bruins understand that to be the best, you have to play the best and hopefully beat the best. That is why coach Kathy Olivier has scheduled six ranked teams in its pre-conference schedule.

"This tough non-conference schedule prepares us for the Pac-10," Olivier said. "We have three steps: non-conference, Pac-10 and NCAAs. One prepares us for the other."

The Bruins (5-2) have won five straight and have lost only their first two games. And they defeated then-No. 5 North Carolina (10-1) and No. 18 Nebraska (8-1).

This squad should definitely be prepared for the Pac-10 after the aforementioned games and tough contests at Texas and at No. 2 Tennessee (6-1) and at home against No. 13 Duke (6-4).

"I think that is where we should be," said junior forward Carly Funicello. "We shouldn't have lost to Notre Dame and Connecticut. Knowing we can hang with the top teams lets us know we can hang with Tennessee. It's giving us more confidence."

The UCLA team, featuring six juniors, two sophomores and a freshman, is more mature than last season and now tournament-tested - and is determined to show that last season was no fluke.

"As the season goes on," Olivier said, "we're just getting more comfortable."

Led by All-America candidates Martin and junior point guard Erica Gomez, and juniors Marie Philman, Melanie Pearson and Janae Hubbard, the Bruins returned its top five scorers from last year and have the most potent and balanced scoring arsenal in the Pac-10.

The one major question for the Bruins, however, is defense. Martin and Hubbard defend in the post moderately well and Gomez knows where to be on defense, but perimeter defense is still questionable.

"That's something we need to work on," Olivier added about the Bruin defense, "and we've gotten better as the season has gone on. But it still needs work."

Sophomore guard LaCresha Flannigan is the Bruins' quickest player (and one of the quickest in the nation), and one of its best defenders, but sees little time off of the bench.

She will need to receive more minutes in order to help fill the shoes of defensive stoppers Aisha Veasley and Tawana Grimes, both lost to graduation. The two former Bruins combined for 110 of the Bruins' 341 steals a year ago.

Freshman Michelle Greco, Philman and Pearson will need to step up their defense as well to pick up the slack.

"Michelle's been doing great," Olivier said, "and LaCresha's done some great things defensively."

With a couple of bumps and bruises early on with pre-conference challenges like Notre Dame, Connecticut, Duke, Texas, Tennessee and North Carolina State, these Bruins should be ready to take UCLA's first title come Pac-10 time.

And the fact that 5'11" Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Pac-10 volleyball phenomenon Kristee Porter has joined the team won't hurt either.

The keys to the Bruins' success in the upcoming games against San Diego State, Texas, Tennessee, Duke and Pepperdine will be team chemistry, defense, beating the press and getting the ball into Martin and Hubbard (who are one-two in scoring and rebounding on the team).

A rejuvenated Carly Funicello, who is finding her rhythm since returning from early-season surgery, will look to be a leading frontcourt contributor as well.

"I feel a lot better," said Funicello enthusiastically. "I think I've gotten a lot more confidence. I really learned more about the game from my other teammates while I was injured."

The first glimpse of what Funicello will be contributing in the months to come was seen in Hawaii. Funicello played 16 minutes against UNC, donating ten points and ten rebounds to the Bruin cause.

Said her coach, "Carly's come off the bench and done a real good job. Carly has a lot of confidence right now. One thing she's got to do is stay out of foul trouble."

Gomez is now averaging nine assists per contest and actually posted a four assists to one turnover ratio in Hawaii (28 assists, seven turnovers).

"That's something we want to focus on," Olivier said. "Anytime she (Gomez) goes four to one we can beat a lot of people."

And the Bruins will need that kind of production to battle the likes of Tennessee.

"I think we're ready," Philman said. "We've shown we can play with the big leagues."

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