Maybe it was the aura of the pre-game circumstances that made all the difference on this special day.Playing in their last home game of the season, the Bruins made sure to make this one count, giving the fans much to cheer about with a 72-58 win over Arizona to complete the sweep of the season series.
To be sure, it was an emotional atmosphere at the John Wooden Center, what with the Bruins honoring former NC State women's basketball coach Kay Yow by adorning pink breast cancer awareness accessories and celebrating the career of Rebekah Gardner, who played in her last Bruin home game. The headlines of today's results are as follows:
Winning with the Bigs
It was all but etched in stone that the Wildcats were going to go guard-heavy to try to win this game. Of the Arizona players who suited up, Erica Barnes was the only 6-footer who saw more than five minutes of action on the floor. Granted, the Bruins didn't have too many options inside, either; Corinne Costa was sidelined with a knee injury, while Markel Walker played just 22 minutes for disciplinary reasons. But it was Kacy Swain who filled the void, providing some steady offense with 14 points on an efficient 6-of-12 shooting. And it wasn't just her signature turnaround fadeaway jumpers; the freshman forward made a concerted effort to crash the glass, collecting seven rebounds and scoring on put-backs as well.
"My coaches told me before the game that because we were going to be missing some of our main players, I was going to have to really step up today for us to come out with a win," Swain said. "And because it was Rebekah's last home game, I wasn't going to have her go out with a loss. I wanted to do everything that I could to get this win."
If performance was indeed the way to pay homage to the sole Bruin senior, then Rhema Gardner did her sisterly deeds manning the post. Although her shooting wasn't pretty (0-for-7 from the floor), she raked in 12 rebounds, using her long and athletic frame to sky for the 50-50 balls and securing said boards against a swarm of Wildcats hoping to reach in for the held-ball calls. Oh, and it didn't hurt that Walker had her usual all-around game, albeit in limited minutes: 17 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists.
Rugged Officiating, Testy Moments, and a Lively Crowd
After a relatively calm and entertaining first half, the game turned noticeably testy, but this time not amongst the players. The officiating was quite frankly a bit erratic in the second period, to the annoyance of the fans in attendance. On plays where contact was drawn, the whistles at times went silent. Then in other spurts, the game suddenly became one of ticky-tack calls, a clear source of frustration for the Bruins who were looking to make a run and pull away in the second half.
"The referees started to call the game tight, so we just had to keep our composure," Rebekah Gardner said.
At one point, an official even charged Bruin head coach Cori Close with a technical foul, the cue for the boo birds to rain down on the striped ones.
"Our crowd sensed when we needed them today," Close said. "They even had my back when I got the technical foul, and I thought our team did a great job of feeding off of that energy. The reality is, the home-court crowd is a big deal in basketball. That sense of connection can be a powerful thing, and I thought the energy from our fans was the best today."
'Bek's Last Outing
Before the game, Rebekah Gardner was given a much-deserved tribute with her last home game upon her, complete with a video-board message from teammates and the coaching staff, a bouquet of flowers, and a standing ovation from the Bruin faithful. During the game, Gardner simply shined, whether it was draining jump shots (3-for-3 from beyond the arc) or attacking the basket. She finished the day with a game-high 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, six rebounds, and five assists.
After the game, Gardner reflected back on her four years at UCLA, noting how much has changed from her freshman season to now.
"I've definitely come a long way," she said. "When I first came here as a freshman, everything was so big and I didn't know anything. It's crazy how things have changed. This year, Coach Close has given me so many opportunities, and I'm just very thankful for that. I've learned so much over my four years here, from each coaching staff."
