UCLA
Washington
UCLA Jumps Into Third Place In Pac-10 After 83-75 Win Over Washington
February 11, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2006
Los Angeles, Calif. - The UCLA women's basketball team used a near triple-double from guard Noelle Quinn and a pair of double-doubles from Lisa Willis and Lindsey Pluimer to defeat Washington in Pauley Pavilion Saturday afternoon, 83-75. The win was UCLA's fifth in its last six games and catapulted the Bruins into third place in the Pac-10 Conference.
Quinn had a terrific all-around game, scoring a game-high 23 points with nine assists and eight rebounds. Willis recorded her first double-double of the year with 16 points and a career-high tying 12 rebounds, to go along with five assists and four steals. Pluimer also had her first double-double with 15 points and a career-high tying 12 rebounds. Nikki Blue added 11 points and six assists.
Washington had the hot hand to start the game and jumped out to a 10-7 lead after hitting five of its first eight shots. But that would be the last time the Huskies led, as the Bruins roared back with a 14-2 run to gave UCLA a 21-12 lead at the 10:40 mark. UCLA extended the lead to 12 with 5:42 to play before Washington scored seven unanswered points within one minute to cut the lead to five. The Bruins ended the half with a 12-4 run in the final four minutes and took a 44-31 lead into the locker room at halftime.
UCLA continued its momentum in the second half, leading the Huskies by double-digits until the two minute mark, when a pair of free throws by Andrea Pluoffe trimmed the Bruins' lead to eight, at 74-66. An Emily Florence fast break layup brought Washington to within six with 1:42 to play, but Willis slowed the Huskies' momentum with a layup at 1:16 and a free throw with 54 seconds remaining to increase UCLA's lead to nine, 77-68. With 27 seconds left, Florence made one of two free throws to cut the lead to five, 78-73, and Washington tried to trap the Bruins on the inbounds, but Quinn and Blue broke the press and found Tierra Henderson, who made the layup and was fouled with 25 seconds on the clock to essentially seal the win.
The Bruins outshot the Huskies, 50.8%-33.3% and won the battle of the boards, 52-45. Like UCLA, Washington had four players in double figure scoring, with Cameo Hicks leading the way with 21 points. Plouffe added 16, Breanne Watson had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Florence added 10 points.
UCLA's record improves to 15-9, 10-5 in the Pac-10. Washington drops to 16-7, 9-5.
The Bruins will next host USC (15-9, 9-6) on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 pm in a game televised nationally by Fox Sports Net.
