Say what you will about the inconsistencies displayed at times on the floor, or the woeful injuries that have hit the team, but even the casual fan had to revel in the fortitude the Bruins channeled this week, staging a pair of rallies to remember in their two come-from-behind wins on the road against Utah and Colorado.
On both occasions, the Bruins faced seemingly-insurmountable deficits well into the second half, clearly gassed from playing at unfamiliar altitudes. But on both occasions, the ladies played some of their most relentless basketball of the season and eked out their first two-win week, first defeating the Utes 65-60 before downing the Buffaloes 62-54 in overtime. The takeaways from both games are as follows:
Against the Utes
Like an eighth-inning relief pitcher preserving a baseball game for the closer, it was Mariah Wiliams of all players who kept the Bruins in Thursday's game and made the comeback win possible. Williams, who averages 4.8 points per game, exploded onto the scene in Salt Lake City, punishing the Utes with a career-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. It wasn't just jumpers, either; on numerous possessions, Williams took her defender off the dribble and promptly matched leather to net.
"It just comes down to having confidence, and I got it from my teammates and the coaching staff," Williams said on Thursday.
If Williams was one half of the story, the Bruins' clutch defense was the other. Down 55-46 with 5:48 left in the game, UCLA went with a full court press during that last five-minute stretch, a gutsy call considering the clear signs of fatigue. To say the least, the press paid dividends; Utah simply ceased to function as an offense, as the Bruins got three key steals in that span and staged a dominating 19-5 run to complete the rally.
"That was one of the things we learned from the game: Despite our low numbers in players, we can switch to the press and really disrupt a team's offense," Williams said. "To be a part of that was really fun."
Against the Buff's
If Thursday night was a challenge, the circumstances in Boulder just screamed for a Bruin loss: Colorado's Chucky Jeffery started to get hot from the field in the second half; Corinne Costa fouled out of the game with 2:07 left in regulation; the officials began to nitpick on the traveling calls down the stretch. And to top it all off, UCLA simply looked in danger of losing the game to bouts with stamina - and that was before overtime.
But again, much like their performance three days ago, the Bruins - heavy breathing and all - clamped down on defense in the critical moments, causing the Buffaloes' offense to vanish into the thin Colorado air.
And this time, it was a blend of both zone and press defense that got the job done for the blue and gold.
"The zone helped especially with guarding Chucky, because she likes to drive or get to the lanes and kick the ball out to the shooters," said Rebekah Gardner, who notched 17 points. "With the zone, she couldn't go one-on-one as much as she usually does."
As for the killer press that finished off the Buff's?
"The full-court press basically picked up the play and took Chucky and their other playmakers out of their game," said Markel Walker, who had a stellar game with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
One factor that may not have been as noticeable was the usage of timeouts. Certainly, with their first overtime game of the season, the Bruins faced a test of will and stamina. As such, it was critical for UCLA that the timeouts were used strategically and at key junctures.
"Coach Cori Close's strategy of when to use the timeouts helped us a lot because it gave us the breaks when we needed them most," Gardner said. "It also helped that it was a TV game, because the media timeouts were longer."
With two impressive wins now in the books, the Bruins return home, a much-deserving sigh of relief in order.
Against the Utes
Like an eighth-inning relief pitcher preserving a baseball game for the closer, it was Mariah Wiliams of all players who kept the Bruins in Thursday's game and made the comeback win possible. Williams, who averages 4.8 points per game, exploded onto the scene in Salt Lake City, punishing the Utes with a career-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. It wasn't just jumpers, either; on numerous possessions, Williams took her defender off the dribble and promptly matched leather to net.
"It just comes down to having confidence, and I got it from my teammates and the coaching staff," Williams said on Thursday.
If Williams was one half of the story, the Bruins' clutch defense was the other. Down 55-46 with 5:48 left in the game, UCLA went with a full court press during that last five-minute stretch, a gutsy call considering the clear signs of fatigue. To say the least, the press paid dividends; Utah simply ceased to function as an offense, as the Bruins got three key steals in that span and staged a dominating 19-5 run to complete the rally.
"That was one of the things we learned from the game: Despite our low numbers in players, we can switch to the press and really disrupt a team's offense," Williams said. "To be a part of that was really fun."
Against the Buff's
If Thursday night was a challenge, the circumstances in Boulder just screamed for a Bruin loss: Colorado's Chucky Jeffery started to get hot from the field in the second half; Corinne Costa fouled out of the game with 2:07 left in regulation; the officials began to nitpick on the traveling calls down the stretch. And to top it all off, UCLA simply looked in danger of losing the game to bouts with stamina - and that was before overtime.
But again, much like their performance three days ago, the Bruins - heavy breathing and all - clamped down on defense in the critical moments, causing the Buffaloes' offense to vanish into the thin Colorado air.
And this time, it was a blend of both zone and press defense that got the job done for the blue and gold.
"The zone helped especially with guarding Chucky, because she likes to drive or get to the lanes and kick the ball out to the shooters," said Rebekah Gardner, who notched 17 points. "With the zone, she couldn't go one-on-one as much as she usually does."
As for the killer press that finished off the Buff's?
"The full-court press basically picked up the play and took Chucky and their other playmakers out of their game," said Markel Walker, who had a stellar game with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
One factor that may not have been as noticeable was the usage of timeouts. Certainly, with their first overtime game of the season, the Bruins faced a test of will and stamina. As such, it was critical for UCLA that the timeouts were used strategically and at key junctures.
"Coach Cori Close's strategy of when to use the timeouts helped us a lot because it gave us the breaks when we needed them most," Gardner said. "It also helped that it was a TV game, because the media timeouts were longer."
With two impressive wins now in the books, the Bruins return home, a much-deserving sigh of relief in order.
