University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Women's Basketball Looks to Extend Four-Game Win Streak
November 30, 1998
This Week - Fresh off a tournament victory at the Rainbow Wahine Basketball Classic, head coach Kathy Olivier's #12-ranked UCLA women's basketball team (4- 2) will return home to face Cal State Fullerton (1-2) Saturday, Dec. 5 at 4:00 pm.
Curry Returns to Pauley - Saturday's match will mark Cal State Fullerton head coach Denise Curry's return to Pauley Pavilion. Curry, in her second year coaching at Fullerton, was a three-time All-American at UCLA from 1979-81 who set a collegiate record by scoring in double figures in each of the 130 games she played for the Bruins. She still ranks No. 1 in career scoring and rebounding. Curry, whose No. 12 jersey was retired by UCLA in 1990, led UCLA to the national championship in 1978.
Rankings - UCLA is currently ranked No. 10 by AP. The Bruins entered the season with the No. 6 pre-season ranking in the polls of both AP and USA Today/CNN. The Pac-10 coaches have also tabbed the Bruins as the favorites to win the conference title.
UCLA Probable Starters (4-2)
No. Name Pos. Ht. Cl. PPG RPG 13 Maylana Martin F 6-3 Jr. 19.0 13.2 5 Marie Philman F 6-0 Jr. 11.8 6.2 34 Janae Hubbard C 6-4 Jr. 15.7 6.8 10 Erica Gomez G 5-9 Jr. 7.0 8.7a 11 Melanie Pearson G 6-1 Jr. 8.8 4.2
Returning Reserves
44 Carly Funicello C 6-4 Jr. 4.7 5.0 45 LaCresha Flannigan G 5-7 So. 8.7 3.2
Newcomers
4 Sarah Belavic G 5-6 Fr. 0.0 0.0 20 Michelle Greco G 5-9 Fr. 9.5 3.7 23 Ayesha Rembert F 6-0 So. 2.2 2.2 35 Tracey Milburn G 5-9 So. - -
Roster Note - Junior forward Takiyah Jackson and incoming freshman guard Natalie Nakase are out for the season due to knee injuries. Sarah Belavic (Dana Point/ Rosary HS) has been added to the roster. Also new to the roster is sophomore guard Tracey Milburn (Moorpark/Moorpark HS/Pepperdine), who joined the Bruins after a successful soccer season in which she was named first-team All-Pac-10.
Cal State Fullerton Probable Starters (1-2)
No. Name Pos. Ht. Cl. PPG RPG 32 Nieshia Cleveland F 5-10 Jr. 14.3 4.3 52 Natascha Stokely F 5-10 Sr. 6.3 8.0 43 Erin Whiteside C 6-1 Jr. 15.3 11.0 12 Kristina Naumovic G 5-11 Fr. 7.3 3.0 23 Rhonda Anderson G 5-7 Sr. 8.3 3.3a
A Look at the Titans - Head coach Denise Curry's Cal State Fullerton Titans are led by center Erin Whiteside, who averages 15.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Whiteside had 16 points and 12 rebounds is Fullerton's last game vs. Georgia State. Other Titans in double-figure scoring are Andrea Thieme (17.5ppg) and Nieshia Cleveland (14.3ppg).
The Series with Fullerton - UCLA leads the overall series 21-10, but the two teams have not met since Dec. 2, 1992. UCLA won that game 99-66 at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins are 9-3 overall against the Titans in games played at Pauley Pavilion.
Martin Named Pac-10 Player of the Week - Junior forward Maylana Martin was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week for Nov. 23-29 after being named the tournament MVP at the Rainbow Wahine Classic. Martin led UCLA to three victories and the tournament championship, averaging 19.0 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game. Against fifth-ranked North Carolina, she scored 30 points, a career-high 18 rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots. The Player of the Week honor is the first of Martin's career and the 19th all-time UCLA selection. Next Week - UCLA will travel to San Diego to take on San Diego State (1-4) on Friday, Dec. 11 at 7:00 pm. The game will be broadcast live on KIEV 870am.
Player Updates
#5 Marie Philman - Has set or tied career highs in points in three of UCLA's six games . After tying her career high with 17 points vs. UConn and West Virginia, she established a new one with 19 vs. Kentucky . Also grabbed nine rebounds and made three steals against Connecticut .Tied for the team lead in steals with 11 . Starter in 25 games last season . Finished the past season with double digits in five of the last seven games and 15 for the season, including 16 pts. at Alabama . Established a new career-high with 17 points versus Notre Dame and USC. Career Highs: Points- 19 vs. Kentucky 11-29-98; Rebs.- 13 v. Oregon St. 2-8-98; Assists- 8 v. Oregon St. 2-8-98; Steals - 4, last v. USC 2- 29-98.
#10 Erica Gomez - Averages 8.7 assists per game . Has dished out 10 assists in three of her last four games . UCLA's top free throw shooter at 88.2% (15-17) . Sat out two weeks of pre-season practice due to cartilage damage in her left knee and returned to the lineup for the second Bruin exhibition game vs. Slovakia (playing 27 minutes) . She had six points and seven assists in 29 minutes at Notre Dame after picking up her third foul of the first half with over five minutes to play . Also totaled seven assists in 30 minutes vs. UConn . In 1997-98, she was named National Comeback Player of the Year by W-Bkb News Service . Enters the season, ninth on the all-time UCLA assist list . First-team All-Conf. . Played on the USA team which competed in the Jones Cup this past summer . Ranked sixth in the Pac-10 in assists . In 1996-97, she earned Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and first-team Freshman All-American honors in 1995-96 . Tore the ACL in her right knee Oct. 8, 1996 in a pick-up game at Pauley Pavilion and underwent surgery to repair the tear . Sat out the entire 1996-97 season . Had major knee surgery to repair her left knee in high school. Career Highs: -Points- 25 v. Ore. State 2-29-97; Rebs. 11 v. Stanford 2-24-96; Assists- 15 v. Long Beach St. 12-6-96; Steals- 7 v. Vanderbilt 11-26-97.
#11 Melanie Pearson - Tied her career high with five assists vs. North Carolina . Set a UCLA record with 49 made three-point shots last season . Fourth in the Pac-10 in three-point shooting (.450) . Poured in a career-best 30 points vs. Notre Dame last season . Made five three-pointers in a game five times in 1997-98 . In 1996-97, she started the first two games of the season at point guard . Came back to start the final 12 games of the 1996-97 season and averaged 14.4 points in those games . Enters the 1998-99 season with 16 career starts. Career Highs: Points-30 v. Notre Dame 11-30-97; Rebs.-9 vs. USC 1-24-98 ; Assists- 5, last v. UNC 11-28-98; Made three-pointers in game- 5, last v. Washington 3-1-98.
#13 Maylana Martin - Averaging double figures in scoring (19.0) and rebounding (13.2). Has four double-doubles in just six games. Also tied for the team lead in steals with 11. Earned her first career Pac-10 Player of the Week honors Nov. 23-29 after being named Tournament MVP at the Rainbow Wahine Classic. Her 23 point and career-high 18 rebound performance vs. WVU gave her a 14th career double-double. Tied that career-high for rebounds with 18 and 30 points vs. North Carolina. Also had a career-high four blocked shots vs. Carolina. Had her 40th straight game in double figures scoring at Notre Dame with 26 but had that streak stopped when she scored eight after getting into foul trouble against UConn. Tied her career high in assists vs. UConn with five. Named as a pre-season candidate for the Naismith Player of the Year award. Selected to several pre-season All-America teams. Sixteenth player in UCLA history to score over 1,000 points and just the third to do it in her first two seasons. Two- time first-team all-conference selection. Third in the Pac-10 in scoring and rebounding last season. Fifth in blocks and field goal percentage. Leading scorer (17.8) and team captain for the USA Junior National Team, which captured its first-ever gold medal at the Junior World Championships in summer of 1997. In 1996-97, she became UCLA's second-straight Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. As a freshman, she led the conference in field goal % (.559) and was fifth in scoring (17.9) and seventh in both steals (2.4) and free throw % (.747). Career Highs: Points- 33 v. Washington 3-6-97; Rebs.- 18, last v. UNC 11-28-98; Assists - 5, last vs. UConn 11-17-98; Steals- 7, last vs. ASU 2-16-97; Blocks- 4 vs. UNC 11-28-98.
#20 Michelle Greco - Has seen early action at both the point and off-guard positions. UCLA's top field goal shooter at 60% (24-40). Was perfect >from the field (4-4) against Nebraska. Starter vs. WVU, where she scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Scored 17 points against UConn. Co-captain of USA Under-19 team which won the gold medal at the World Championships this summer. Averaged 22.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and shot 83% from free throw line and 40% from three-point range. California State High School Player of the Year. Career Highs: Points-17 v. UConn 11-17-98; Rebs.-8 v. WVU 11-22-98; Assists-4 v. UNC 11-28-98; Steals-3 v. UNC 11-28-98.
#23 Ayesha Rembert - Had four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot in just eight minutes vs. WVU. Transfer from Marquette, which advanced to the NCAA Second Round her freshman year. Averaged 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds as a starter for MU. MU Career Highs: Points-23 v. Dayton 1-2-97; Rebs.-12, last v. Memphis 1-24-97; Steals- 7 v. Nicholls State 11-30-96.
#34 Janae Hubbard - Tabbed the best shooter in the Pac-10 by The Sporting News. Proved it by shooting 11-15 and finishing with 29 points vs. UConn. Shot 7-10 against West Virginia while scoring 18 points. Made the first three-pointer of her career against WVU. Set a career high with four steals vs. Nebraska. Pulled down a season-best 14 rebounds vs. Kentucky. Selected to the all- tournament team at the Rainbow Wahine Classic. Finished fourth in the Pac-10 in shooting % (.539), 15th in scoring, 14th in rebounding and 10th in blocked shots (0.62) in 1997-98. Starter in the final 25 games of 1997-98. Has eight career double-doubles, including a career-high 26-point/18-rebound effort against Washington State 2-27-98. In 1996-97, this honorable mention All-Pac-10 Freshman team member scored a career-high 16 points vs. Oregon State and Cal. Career Highs: Points- 29 v. UConn 11-17-98; Rebs.- 18 v. Washington St. 2-27-98; Blocks- 3 v. Oregon St. 1-8-98.
#44 Carly Funicello - Underwent arthroscopic knee surgery the first week of November and returned to play 16 minutes vs. Nebraska 11-27. Scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in her first game back. Recorded the first double- double of her career with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. North Carolina. Enters the 1998-99 season with 31 career starts. Finished the 1997-98 season by making 21 of her last 31 shots (.677) from the field. In 1996-97, she was named to the honorable mention All-Pac-10 Freshman team. Started all 27 games for UCLA. Led UCLA with 20 blocked shots. Scored a career-high 17 points in her collegiate debut vs. San Diego. Hit all seven of her shots from the field in the win over ASU and totaled 15 points in all. Career Highs: Points-17 v. San Diego 11-23-96; Rebs.-10 v. UNC 11-28-98; Blocks- 3, last v. Notre Dame 11-30-97.
#45 LaCresha Flannigan - Scored a career-high 17 points against UConn. Scored 10 points at Notre Dame. Pulled down a career-high four rebounds against West Virginia. Named to the honorable mention All-Pac-10 freshman team in 1997-98. In 1996-97 as a prep senior, she led San Bernardino HS to its fifth consecutive San Andreas League title and a spot in the quarterfinals of the CIF Division II playoffs. Named to the "Second Five" of the 1997 All-State team as chosen by Cal Hi-Sports. Averaged 23 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.4 steals, 4.5 assists and 1.3 blocks. Two-time All-CIF first-team selection. Career Highs: Points- 17 v. UConn 11-20-98; Rebs.- 4, last v. UNC 11-28-98; Assists-2, last v. Cal 2-14-98; Steals- 3 v. Washington 1-29-98.
Head Coach Kathy Olivier - Now in her sixth season (she entered the 1998-99 season with a 71-66 record) as UCLA head coach, Kathy Olivier has steadily built the program to reflect her own positive, upbeat and outgoing personality. This season, she will take the floor with a team headed by two All-Pac-10 conference selections in forward Maylana Martin and point guard Erica Gomez, four returning starters and seven returning players in all. This past season, she guided UCLA to its best finish ever in the Pac-10, its best winning percentage in the last 17 seasons and its first 20-win season since the last NCAA tournament appearance in 1992.
The young and dynamic Bruin coach originally joined the UCLA staff in the summer of 1986. In her seven seasons as an assistant, the team enjoyed five winning seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament in two of the final four years. This past season, UCLA continued its streak of being the only team in the Pac-10 to have at least one player named to the all-conference squad in each of the league's 11 years, all seasons with Olivier on staff.
Last Season - The Bruins concluded the 1998 season with a 20-9 record after losing 75-74 at Alabama in the second round of the Midwest Regional of the NCAA tournament. At 14-4, UCLA finished tied for second in the Pac-10 conference race with Arizona. The 14 wins and second place finish were the best ever by a Bruin team in Pac-10 play.
UCLA vs. Kentucky - UCLA won the Rainbow Wahine Basketball Classic with a perfect 3-0 record after defeating Kentucky 64-54 in the championship game. UCLA led all the way, with Marie Philman pacing the Bruins with a career-high 19 points. UCLA outrebounded the Wildcats 57-34 and harassed them into just 32.8% shooting in the game.
UCLA vs. North Carolina - Maylana Martin dominated the game as UCLA upset fifth- ranked North Carolina 86-68. Martin led all players with 30 points and career highs of 18 rebounds and four blocked shots. Carly Funicello provided a big spark off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds for her first career double- double. UCLA limited UNC to just 29.7% shooting in the first half while jumping out to a 38-27 halftime lead which they never relinquished.
UCLA vs. Nebraska - Led by Maylana Martin's 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds, the No. 12 Bruins earned an 85-67 first-round victory Friday over No. 24 Nebraska in the opening day of competition at the Rainbow Wahine Basketball Classic. Marie Philman and Janae Hubbard put in 15 apiece, and LaCresha Flannigan provided a spark off the bench with 10 points. Nebraska came out strong in the first half, taking an early 11-6 advantage. However, a three- pointer by Erica Gomez with 11:08 to play in the first half gave the Bruins an 18-17 advantage and the lead for good. A Flannigan layup with 5:53 to play gave UCLA a 28-point advantage, its largest lead of the game.