UCLA Isn’t Finished After Finishing Run

Just when you’d started wondering if the UCLA women’s basketball team could salvage an NIT bid, two guards appeared to not only save the day Thursday night but grab back a piece of the Pacific 10 Conference lead as well.

Michelle Greco and LaCresha Flannigan scored the game’s last 12 points to lead UCLA to a 64-61 win over Arizona State before 1,743 at Pauley Pavilion.

Winning ugly, it was . . . but it beats losing ugly, which UCLA did last week in Washington.

The Bruins (22-7, 14-3) are tied for first in the Pac-10 after Oregon (14-3) lost Thursday night at Stanford. UCLA plays host to Arizona Saturday afternoon in the final regular-season game, while Oregon plays at Cal. Stanford (13-4) is home to Arizona State on Saturday.

Arizona State (11-15, 5-12) built a five-point halftime lead and when Rachel Holt scored an easy basket with 5:39 to go it gave the Sun Devils a 61-52 lead.

The air seemed to be leaking out of UCLA’s aspirations of a high seed in the NCAA tournament.

But that was it for Arizona State. The Bruins got a shutout after that while freshman Greco and sophomore Flannigan took over.

* Greco made a 16-foot baseline jumper with 4:30 left to make it 61-54.

* Flannigan made a free throw, then added a three-point play seconds later to cut the Sun Devils’ lead to 61-58 with 3:30 to go.

* Greco made a 10-footer at 2:11 for 61-60.

* Greco missed a 16-footer, but put her miss back in on a six-footer with 1:18 to go for a 62-61 lead.

* Carly Funicello blocked a Sun Devil shot into the seats with nine seconds left.

* Flannigan got an interception and scored on a breakaway with four seconds left for the 64-61 final.

The Bruins were left with one bit of uncertainty.

Guard Erica Gomez sprained an ankle in the second half, later returned to the game, but was favoring the ankle.

In the first half, Gomez got her 545th career assist to become the UCLA leader, passing Ann Meyers.

UCLA Coach Kathy Olivier loved the game-closing shutout.

“I think we kind of defined who we are defensively,” she said. “When we’re confident, it shows with our defense. I just wish we wouldn’t wait until the last six minutes.”

Flannigan led everyone with 18 points.

UCLA was eight for 18 from the free-throw line, ASU 13 for 13.

Arizona State held UCLA without a basket for the last 3:31 of the first half and led, 33-28, at the break.

Arizona 68, USC 62--The Trojans (7-18, 3-13) were outscored by 20 points in the second half at the Sports Arena to lose for the 12th time in 13 games.

Adrain Williams had 15 points for USC, which led, 37-23, at halftime. Tashara Carter had 14 points and Tiffany Washington 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Trojans.

Angela Lackey had 20 points and ReShea Bristol added 14 for the Wildcats (16-9, 11-5).

USC made 11 of 34 shots in the second half after shooting 46% (15 of 33) in the first half.