This Orange County Trio Is Well Connected : Oenning, Pearson and Philman Help Give UCLA Hope for Success in Women’s Basketball

Only two games remain in a largely disappointing season, but UCLA women’s basketball Coach Kathy Olivier said it has been bearable.

In fact, maybe even . . . fun.

Fun despite her team’s 12-13 record, even though she was expecting 18 victories. Fun despite losing to Pacific 10 Conference also-rans. Fun despite flashes of brilliance and youthful ineptitude, and the crutch that it has no seniors “and is going to be really good next year.”

“The team chemistry is unbelievable,” Olivier said, “and I think the Orange County people have a lot to do with that.”

The Orange County people are Jamie Oenning, Melanie Pearson and Marie Philman, the latter two part of a freshman class ranked second in the nation (behind Connecticut) by Blue Star Report.

The three call themselves the O.C.C.--the Orange County Connection. Each was a Times all-county first-team player who helped her high school team reach successful benchmarks.

More notable, perhaps, is that they all ended up in the same Division I program.

UCLA has more players from Orange County on its current roster than UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton combined.

The O.C.C. even extends to the coaching staff.

Olivier, a high school standout at Valencia in 1977 who played collegiately at Cal State Fullerton and Nevada Las Vegas, was an assistant at UC Irvine for the 1982-83 season. This is her fourth season as UCLA’s head coach.

Amy Jalewalia, an assistant coach who averaged 32.4 and 34.2 points her junior and senior seasons at La Quinta (Class of ‘90), also played at UCLA.

The Bruins, 6-10 in the Pac-10, are trying to finish above .500 overall for the first time in three years. They have five out-of-state players on their 13-player squad. Three are from Los Angeles County (including one from the San Fernando Valley), and one each from Riverside and Fresno counties.

“I have a lot of people looking out for me in Orange County,” Olivier said. “It’s the smart thing to do--know your surroundings. Orange County is my comfort zone. I’m from there, and it’s important to me that I know the kids there.”

Orange County is only part of the equation that makes up UCLA’s recruiting plan. Like most programs with NCAA tournament aspirations, UCLA tries to follow the talent nationwide.

“Last year, we were in a very unique situation, not only having the top O.C. kids commit here, but they were the top players in the country,” Olivier said. “We said, ‘Look, when the men won their [NCAA basketball] championship, the reason they won it is because they kept their local kids home.’ And we went into the home visits with that sales pitch, and these kids listened.”

Point guard Erica Gomez, 1996 Pac-10 freshman of the year, injured her knee in October and was lost for the season. Olivier is amazed her team has won as much as it has without a true point guard. But her preseason expectations--18 victories--reflect the disappointment of the season too.

Yet, even that has a silver lining. Gomez, because she is using this as a redshirt season, will have the same NCAA eligibility as this year’s freshman class.

The freshman class also includes Perris’ Maylana Martin, a U.S. junior national team member. Takiyah Jackson, a 1995 Street & Smith, USA Today and Parade magazine All-American from Seattle’s Franklin High School, also has fallen into the eligibility class of 2000 because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

“That’s scary,” Olivier said. “This class does not even know how good it’s going to be. People were suggesting we could have been No. 1. With Erica in the class, it’s a no-brainer.”

In eligibility, UCLA has no seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and seven freshmen.

The three Orange County athletes say the adjustment to college life--and it’s a major adjustment--was made easier by staying close to home. None has any regrets. Not even Oenning, who has been such an important part of recruiting the quality players that have pushed her further down the bench.

Her best friend, Pearson, said Oenning--who has appeared in a team-low 16 games--has struggled with the lack of playing time. To her credit, Oenning hasn’t sulked.

“That’s the first thing that pops through my mind when something like that happens to a kid, but Jamie does not let it affect her,” said Olivier, who said she couldn’t empathize from her own experiences as a player. “She goes about her business and comes to practice every day with a positive attitude.”

Oenning, who led Woodbridge to the first of its three state final appearances, was elected captain by her teammates.

Pearson and Philman are both playing guard, and they have gotten many of the minutes that might otherwise have gone to Oenning, who was converted to point guard as a freshman.

Pearson, who helped Woodbridge win two state titles, will eventually play shooting guard and small forward. She has been especially remarkable.

After missing seven games because of mononucleosis, Pearson stepped into the point guard position vacated by Gomez. Pearson has averaged 10.1 points this season, but in 16 conference games, she also has averaged three rebounds, two assists and 1.3 steals.

“I can honestly say I didn’t think I would be playing this much, and definitely didn’t think I would be playing point guard,” Pearson said. “It’s been a challenge--a good challenge--and it will help my game a lot because now I know what the point guard goes through. It’s the toughest position.

“Coach always tells us, you can’t be freshmen this year--you can’t think like that.”

Pearson, perhaps as much as anyone, represents UCLA’s growing pains.

“The only thing getting in the way of her having an awesome year is the turnovers, trying to make things happen that aren’t there,” Olivier said. “You can’t do that at this level. Teams are setting her up. She had crucial turnovers [in the first game] against USC, but she was the reason we were in the game against USC.”

Philman, The Times Orange County player of the year at Edison, also has been brilliant at times.

“She’s still making that transition of knowing what she can get away with,” Olivier said. “I think Marie is one of our best athletes on the team. I don’t think she has even begun to play. . . . Marie has not made the mental adjustment yet. I’m surprised she hasn’t done better, to be honest.”

Her numbers? She’s averaging 5.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and almost a steal a game.

“I think I had a lot of little things to work on,” Philman said. “I got away with a lot of things in high school. [UCLA] knew what my weaknesses were before I came. It wasn’t like I came in here and they said, ‘Dang, we didn’t know you couldn’t do that.’ ”

They were pretty well connected already.