Double overtime fails to keep the Irish away

Published: Monday, December 1, 1997

Monday, December 1, 1997

W. HOOPS: Aggressive defense forces outside shots; free-throw average inadequate

By Anthony CinQue Carter

Daily Bruin Contributor

After a heartbreaking, gut-wrenching 78-73 loss to George Washington University on Friday, UCLA looked to turn things around against Notre Dame. Playing before 350 enthusiastic fans in Pauley Pavilion yesterday, the Bruins fell, 93-91.

At the 10:29 mark of the first half, sophomore Melanie Pearson hit her only first-half shot to put the Bruins up, 21-9. The Irish answered with a three-point shot and continued on a 17-3 run to go up, 26-24. At the half, the teams were dead even at 28.

The second half was a seesaw battle with no team going up by more than four after the14:23 mark.

Pearson played the game of her young college career. After scoring only two points in the first half, she caught fire in the second and poured in a phenomenal 28 points (for a total of 30 in 29 minutes) on 8 of 13 shots.

What made the outside shooting of Pearson necessary was the inability to get the ball inside to sophomores Maylana Martin, Janae Hubbard and Carly Funicello. Martin, who scored 27 points against George Washington, managed to garner 15 points and Hubbard contributed with 10. However, both players felt the effects of a tough defense. Each time they asked for the ball, they were double or triple-teamed. This opened up outside shooting, but Pearson was the only who was hot from outside of the key.

While nailing four of seven three-pointers, Pearson hit a crucial buzzer beater with the Bruins trailing 67-64 at the end of regulation. This would force the first overtime.

"I felt that when we hit the three it would be a change of everything," head coach Kathy Olivier said. "It just didn't happen for us today."

One major reason why the Bruins lost was their inferior free-throw shooting. The Irish were 88.5 percent from the line while the Bruins were 74.2 percent.

During the first overtime, UCLA missed two free throws while their counterparts were a cool three-for-three. This allowed the Irish to take a two-point lead going into the final 41 seconds. However, a baseline drive by senior Tawana Grimes (15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four steals) with :28 remaining tied the game at 79 apiece.

Olivier said that Grimes and fellow starter, senior Aisha Veasley, provide key leadership for the young team.

"The seniors know it's their year and they are going to find a way," Olivier said.

A blown Notre Dame layup would force double overtime.

This time around, the Bruins got out of the gates first with a Pearson putback in the key to go up by two. Grimes hit a jumper for two more of her fifteen points to take a short-lived two point lead, 85-83. At that point, however, the Irish outscored UCLA 8-2 to take the lead for good, 93-87. Leading 93-91, Notre Dame threw an errant pass out of bounds and gave UCLA hopes of surviving with five seconds remaining. Following a time-out, sophomore Marie Philman, one of five Bruins in double figures, shot an awkward three pointer while breaking away from the defender. The shot would have won the game but the ball fell off the front of the rim as time expired.

"Next time I'll make it," Philman said.

Added Olivier, "Philman got a great look. It just didn't go in."

Despite the outcome, the Bruins felt that they accomplished a great deal.

Veasley said, "We played our guts out for 40 minutes."

JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS/Daily Bruin

Melanie Pearson stretches out for a lay up against the Kilsyth team earlier this year.