WOMEN’S BASKETBALL : Hilbert Is UCLA Star in Victory

Kathy Olivier, UCLA women’s basketball coach, turned in surprise to Nickey Hilbert at halftime of Wednesday’s game against Kentucky at Pauley Pavilion.

“Hey, you’re having fun out there, aren’t you?” Olivier asked.

Perhaps more than ever this season, Hilbert was. And that made all the difference as UCLA defeated Kentucky, 74-65.

“I felt so much more focused before this game than I did before other games,” Hilbert said. “I just told myself, ‘We have to go out and we have to win this one. It’s a doubleheader (with the men’s team), and it would be great for the crowd.’ ”

The attendance, 1,326, was the Bruins’ largest home attendance of the season by far, probably because the men followed with a game against North Carolina State.

Hilbert, a sophomore guard from Long Beach Millikan High, scored 16 points to lead UCLA (5-3) over Kentucky (3-6), which has lost six consecutive games.

“I think Nickey is one of the most exciting basketball players in the (Pacific 10) conference with her quickness,” Olivier said. “She really doesn’t have a weakness right now, and once she knows that and feels like, ‘I can dominate. I can own some people,’ she will be so good.”

Hilbert’s performance provided a glimpse of what might be for the Bruins this season. But there is room for improvement.

UCLA allowed a 10-point lead to slip away in the first half and committed 25 turnovers to Kentucky’s 19 in the game.

However, UCLA made 18 of 32 free throws (56.3%) to Kentucky’s three of six (50%).

The Bruins went on a 13-3 run to open a 10-point lead with 6:51 remaining in the game, and the Wildcats never got closer than six points after that.

However, UCLA had the opportunity to put the game away much earlier.

“We start to play with a little consistency and, as a coach, you start to relax a little, and then all of a sudden, bam, we take five steps back,” Olivier said.

UCLA led, 30-20, with 6:16 remaining in the half, but Kentucky’s Chrissy Roberts made a three-point basket to spark the Wildcats on a 12-0 run. Hilbert made a baseline jumper and a layup to give the Bruins back the lead, but Kim Denkins answered with another basket for the Wildcats, ending the half at 34-34.

“We don’t have that leader who exerts confidence yet,” Olivier said. But Hilbert is making a strong bid to earn that spot.