UCLA Feels the Pressure and Loses

With 15:20 left in Wednesday night’s first-round game of NCAA West Regional women’s basketball tournament, UCLA seemed to have everything under control. DeDe Mosman’s three-point shot had given the Bruins a 53-37 lead against No. 22 Arkansas.

But Arkansas countered with a full-court press that started a 20-5 run and eventually led to a 90-80 Arkansas victory in overtime.

“We just didn’t handle the full-court pressure,” UCLA Coach Billie Moore said. “We had a couple of players playing out of position with the injury to our point guard (Nicole Anderson). I was hoping they wouldn’t exploit that, but they did.”

UCLA, making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1985, ends the season with a 17-12 record. Arkansas (23-4) advances to a second-round game at Georgia on Sunday.

Arkansas appeared to have it won in regulation when Christi Willson made both ends of a one-and-one with seven seconds left to give the Razorbacks a 75-72 lead. But the Bruins’ Rachelle Roulier hit a desperation 28-footer at :01 to tie the game at 75-75 and force overtime.

UCLA’s Sheri Bouldin scored the first point in overtime on a free throw, but Arkansas countered with a field goal by Blair Savage and UCLA never led again.

Rehema Stephens, a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard from Oakland, led UCLA with 16 points. Sandra VanEmbricqs, Mosman and Bouldin added 13 points each. Van-Embricqs and Bouldin grabbed 10 rebounds each.

Delmonica DeHorney and Amber Nicholas had 22 points for Arkansas.