NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Unranked UCLA Will Play at No. 22 Arkansas Tonight

The UCLA women’s basketball team accomplished its first goal, getting into the NCAA tournament. Now comes the hard part: staying alive as the 10th-seeded team in a West regional featuring four of the top 10 teams in the country.

The unranked Bruins will get their first test tonight in Fayetteville, Ark., against No. 22 Arkansas (22-4).

The Bruins (17-11) who have not competed in an NCAA tournament since 1984-85, will need strong performances by guard Rehema Stephens and forward-center Sandra VanEmbricqs to beat a Razorback team that has a tough defense and an explosive offense.

Stephens has led the Bruins, scoring at least 20 points in 16 games. The 6-foot-3 VanEmbricqs has scored in double figures in 14 of her past 15 games and is averaging more than 10 rebounds.

Arkansas Coach John Sutherland acknowledged his unfamiliarity with UCLA but said: “We just know they push the ball up the floor and they have a great player in Stephens. We’re going to have our hands full containing her.”

The Bruins, however, will have their hands full containing the Razorbacks’ Delmonica DeHorney. The 6-4 Southwest Conference player of the year has averaged almost 19 points and seven rebounds and is ranked fourth nationally in shooting percentage at 61.3%.

Said Bruin Coach Billie Moore: “When you have someone that’s really strong like that, you have to force her to work hard to get the ball and maybe get her a little farther away from the basket, but not spend so much time on her that other players on the team hurt you more than they should.”