UCLA’s Loss to Duke Not Its Only Worry

Duke beat UCLA, 85-80, in a mild women’s basketball upset before 3,629 at Pauley Pavilion on Monday night, but the larger story seemed to be the health of the Bruins’ best player, Maylana Martin.

The 6-foot-3 junior from Perris, Calif., a two-time All-Pacific 10 Conference center, battled lower back pain and what was first called a migraine headache, and wasn’t able to contribute her normal production.

Many wondered what it meant for UCLA’s Pac-10 season, which begins at Arizona on Saturday.

Martin, who averaged 18.8 points and 7.4 rebounds last season, had only 14 points and three rebounds in 32 minutes against Duke (9-4).

Martin sat out much of the first half, her head buried in a towel when she was on the bench. During a short break in the second half, she tried standing while she was out of the game.

Nothing worked. And if her back isn’t healthy against the likes of Stanford, Arizona and Washington in the conference season, you wonder how far UCLA--the preseason pick by Pac-10 coaches--can go.

“May’s had a lot of back pain lately and now she’s had a migraine for two days,” Bruin Coach Kathy Olivier said. Earlier in the week, Olivier said Martin might require back surgery after this season.

As for the “migraine,” the diagnosis changed 20 minutes after the game, when Olivier said Martin had “a major sinus infection,” and not a migraine.

Whatever, UCLA (7-4), ranked ninth nationally, lost to a 17th-ranked team that achieved revenge at Pauley. A year ago, UCLA went to Duke and beat the Blue Devils, 93-83.

“Duke played a lot better tonight, much more aggressively on offense than they did a year ago,” Olivier said.

Duke won with a flourish, largely on the strength of a perfectly executed fast break with 27 seconds left.

UCLA’s Marie Philman had just trimmed Duke’s lead to 83-80 with an eight-foot baseline jump shot with 35 seconds left.

Then every Duke starter, after a defensive rebound, handled the ball on a fast break, with 6-6 Michele VanGorp dishing to Georgia Schweitzer at midcourt, who gunned it to Peppi Browne as she was streaking to UCLA’s basket.

She scored, creating the final score.

The final two minutes were marked by three big breaks, and Duke had two of them.

With 1:38 to play, Duke’s Hilary Howard stole the ball from UCLA’s Janae Hubbard under the UCLA basket and Georgia Schweitzer scored for an 80-75 lead.

UCLA made it 80-78 with 58 seconds left when LaCresha Flannigan scored on a layup and free throw. Then Browne got away from Martin underneath, scored and added a free throw to increase the margin to 83-78.

In the first half, UCLA went from trailing, 14-13, to leading, 33-17, with Martin scoring twice in the five-minute surge--once on a great assist by Melanie Pearson--and freshman guard Michelle Greco scoring twice on drives.

But shortly after that, Martin limped off to rest her aching back and head (or sinuses) on the bench. Her backup, Carly Funicello, scored twice in the last two minutes but it wasn’t nearly enough to thwart Duke’s closing drive. In the last 4:41 of the first half, Duke outscored UCLA, 20-8, to cut the Bruins’ lead to 44-42 at halftime.