UCLA
Arizona State
UCLA Can't Overcome Slow Start In Loss To No. 10 Arizona State
January 18, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -UCLA got off to a slow start for its early tip-off with No. 10 Arizona State. The Bruins dug a first half hole and ultimately fell 92-52 in the Pacific 10 Conference matchup.
Aubree Johnson added 15 points, Dymond Simon 14, Jill Noe 13 and Briann January 10 for the Sun Devils in a game played in front of several thousand enthusiastic fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders on "Sparky's Kids to College Field Trip."
With the kids cheering them on, the Sun Devils (17-2, 7-1 Pac-10) led by as many as 24 in the first half and 44 in the second, handing UCLA (9-11, 3-5) its most one-sided loss of the season.
Lindsey Pluimer led UCLA with 17 points. Noelle Quinn added 13.
"She's one of the best players in the country but we didn't allow her to be that today," the Sun Devils' coach said.
It was the first meeting of the two teams since the Bruins beat Arizona State in the semifinals of last year's Pac-10 tournament.
UCLA coach Kathy Olivier said she will reserve judgment on just how good the Sun Devils are until her team plays them in Los Angeles.
"They're very comfortable at home," she said, "and they just get it done."
She said the Bruins wanted to use their height advantage against the Sun Devils.
"But their perimeter defense is so disruptive it's hard to get the ball inside," Olivier said.
The Sun Devils made 11 of their first 12 shots, 4-of-4 by January, to bolt to a 25-10 lead on Jill Noe's 3-pointer with 12:42 left in the half. It was never close after that.
The lead reached 37-13 after Aubree Johnson made two free throws with 4:22 to go in the half.
The game began at 11 a.m., MST, as part of the kids' field trip.
