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Lisa Willis and the UCLA women’s basketball team defeated USC 68-64 in a critical matchup S

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Elbows were being thrown and mouthpieces were nearly flying out.

But when UCLA defeated USC, 68-64, the game suddenly had more ramifications than just the last game of the regular season.

More than just a rivalry game, the matchup was a chance for the Bruins to make a case to the NCAA selection committee that they do indeed deserve a bid to the NCAA tournament.

UCLA (16-11, 11-7 Pac-10), which has now won seven of its last eight games, legitimized itself as a postseason contender Sunday at Pauley Pavilion. Though the Bruins will most likely need at least one more win, by defeating the Trojans (15-12, 11-7), they have kept their hopes of an at-large bid alive.

“If we didn’t win this game, in my opinion, we would have had to win the tournament,” UCLA coach Kathy Olivier said. “But now it’s different. Now I think we’ve put ourselves in a very good position.”

With Arizona State, USC and Washington all vying for an NCAA bid, the Bruins took a giant step toward separating themselves from the pack with the victory.

In front of a rowdy crowd of 8,094, the largest audience to witness a Pac-10 game this year, USC senior forward Ebony Hoffman found the ball in her hands with the game on the line. Trailing 66-64 with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game, Hoffman pulled up on the right wing for a potential game-winning three-pointer.

The shot fell short and careened off the right side of the basket, and UCLA’s Nikki Blue swooped in and wrestled for the loose ball.

“We were trying to go for the win where they weren’t expecting it,” USC coach Chris Gobrecht said. “(Hoffman) had a pretty good look, but she just missed.”

Sophomore guard Lisa Willis would ice the game with a pair of free throws with just two seconds remaining, dedicating each one to a Bruin senior.

“The first one I told (Jamila) Veasley was for her, and the second one I told Whitney (Jones) that it was for her,” Willis said.

As for third Bruin senior Gennifer Arranaga, Willis added she would hit some threes for her next week at the Pac-10 Tournament.

UCLA found itself down by eight points with just seven minutes remaining, but Blue’s play stabilized the Bruin offense as she took it upon herself to carry the team.

Blue attacked the basket with a vengeance, giving the slower, smaller Trojan guards fits on her way to a game-high 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

“Our coaching staff did a good job in letting me know that I need to take control,” Blue said. “I’m not a big guard, but I’m bigger than their guards. ... I think I’m a little better than them (too).”

When the Bruins switched to the full-court press at the 8-minute mark in the second half, the game’s momentum quickly switched to UCLA’s side.

USC looked dumbfounded against the high-pressure defense, turning the ball over virtually every possession down the stretch on its way to 27 turnovers.

“We waited for the perfect time,” Olivier said. “We wanted to get the game to the tempo that we like to play.”

In addition to the press, the Bruins made an effort to get to the free-throw line, and it paid off.

UCLA converted 26 of 29 free throws, while USC made just five of six.

“You have to be kidding me,” Gobrecht said about the disparity of fouls called. “That’s a typo, right?”

Freshman guard Noelle Quinn added 18 points and six rebounds, while Willis finished with 14 points and six steals.

With the win, UCLA, the fourth seed in the conference tournament, will face Arizona State in the quarterfinals Saturday in San Jose.

Although Olivier believes that the Bruins can secure a spot in the NCAA tournament, Blue wants to ensure they are in charge of their future.

“I’m not thinking about winning one, not two; I’m thinking about winning all three,” Blue said. “Then we can’t be denied. That will be our ticket to the NCAA.”