UCLA
Maryland
UCLA Nearly Upsets No. 3 Maryland In Battle Of Unbeatens
November 25, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2007
Los Angeles, Calif. -The UCLA women's basketball team came up short in its upset bid as third-ranked Maryland rallied for a 79-75 win this afternoon in Pauley Pavilion. The Terrapins needed a late 14-0 run to improve to 8-0 on the season, while UCLA fell to 3-1 on the year.
Maryland used 52% first half shooting to jump out to a 35-28 lead at the break after enjoying as much as a 13-point cushion earlier in the half. The Bruins opened the second half with a 10-3 run to knot the score at 38-all with 16:19 remaining in the contest. The game was still tied with 13:55 to go at 46-each when the Bruins went on a 14-4 run to open up a 60-50 advantage with 10:04 to play. UCLA had one more spurt left and took the biggest lead in the game 69-53 after a pair of free throws by junior guard Tierra Henderson with 6:47 on the clock.
The nation's third-ranked team was not about to go down without a fight and answered with a 14-0 run, beginning with a layup by senior post Laura Harper with 5:34 to go which made it 71-60. Harper, who had picked up her fourth foul with 11:21 to play and UCLA in the lead at 54-50, scored eight of the Terps' 14 points during the stretch.
A string of eight-straight UCLA misses ended on a twisting layup by Henderson with 1:34 to play, which gave the Bruins their final lead of the ballgame, 73-72, at the 1:34 mark. Junior guard Kristi Toliver answered with a three-point shot with 1:07 to play to propel the Terps back in front, 75-73. Toliver was then fouled after a Bruin turnover and proceeded to hit both free throws for a 77-73 edge. A jump shot by freshman guard Darxia Morris sliced the Maryland margin to 77-75 with 23 seconds to play. The Terps played keep-away until Marah Strickland was fouled with 10.8 seconds on the clock. Stickland nailed both free throws to make the score 79-75. A Maryland steal terminated the Bruins final possession.
Maryland was topped by Toliver's 22-point effort. Junior guard Marissa Coleman added 20 points and a game-high 10 boards. Harper finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Senior forward Lindsey Pluimer led UCLA with 17 points. Freshman guard Doreena Campbell, who tallied 15 points, and freshman center Regina Rogers, who totaled 10 points, also scored in double digits for UCLA, which will play its next game at Pepperdine on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.
