It Doesn’t Take Much for Pearson to Get Going

The points had just refused to come for Melanie Pearson in the first half of Saturday’s women’s NCAA West Regional semifinal game at the Sports Arena. Pearson and her UCLA teammates had been stunned by the first-minute ankle injury of their point guard, Erica Gomez, who left the floor and came back on crutches.

So the other Bruins floundered for a bit, trying to find their way and to improvise, to find new roles, to pick up the scoring and the passing that was on ice with Gomez and her swelling ankle.

Pearson, a 6-foot-1 junior forward who had been a star at Woodbridge High School, has become a super sub for UCLA and is also the Bruins most trustworthy three-point shooter. And, indeed, Pearson would end up playing 27 minutes, more than usual, and, not surprisingly, Pearson felt the need to make some outside shots.

This did not happen immediately, though. In the first half, when No. 3 seeded UCLA struggled to a 26-25 lead over No. 2 seeded Colorado State, Pearson scored on one rebound layup but from the perimeter there was nothing but frustration. As Pearson kept shooting and the ball kept twirling out or hitting the front of the rim or back of the rim, Pearson was chewing hard on her lower lip or slapping her legs or shaking her head in anger.

“It was getting a little frustrating,” Pearson said later. Later, after the Bruins had beaten Colorado State, 77-68, and advanced, for the first time in school history, to the regional finals where at 9 p.m. Monday UCLA will try to beat heavy favorite and top-seeded Louisiana Tech.

Pearson was no longer frustrated though the ending of her shooting futility came without warning and suddenly. With 13:08 to play and UCLA ahead, 43-42, Pearson set up behind the three-point line again. She was open, barely, and she shot with a tentative look on her face, an eyebrow raised hopefully. Pearson’s wrist stayed cocked as the ball left her hand and rattled in. But not out this time. Pearson gave a little whoop, a little holler and ran back on defense.

After a Colorado State turnover Pearson began asking for the ball, then demanding it. There was a nifty 12-foot turnaround jumper that put UCLA ahead, 48-42, then a baseline jump shot to put her team up, 50-42. Two Pearson free throws gave UCLA a 52-42 lead and another Pearson trey gave the Bruins a 56-45 lead with 7:51 to play. On that final three-pointer Pearson was positively giddy, her feet tapping out a little dance and a smile spreading across her face.

“It felt so good, finally,” Pearson said. “Once that first one fell, it was freeing to me somehow. That first one fell and suddenly I felt awesome.”

And then, in the middle of this post-game excitement, when everyone’s eyes were sparkling and the Bruins were able to feel proud of themselves for not letting the loss of Gomez puncture their hopes, Pearson changed the topic a bit.

“I want to give some credit to my shooting coach,” Pearson said. She took the time to explain how every summer since the seventh grade, every school vacation while she’s been in college, Pearson has brought her talents to Tom Marumoto, a 61-year-old student of physics and of the angles and trajectory and the revolutions that a basketball travels from human hand to basket.

“Whenever I can, I work with Mr. Marumoto,” Pearson said. “He helps me so much.”

Marumoto, who lives in Newport Beach and who brings his pupils to the Newport Beach Boys Club, didn’t see Pearson’s star turn Saturday night. He was, of course, out coaching somebody.

But on Sunday Marumoto had a giggle in his voice as he spoke of Pearson.

“The thing I like about Melanie,” Marumoto said, “is her character. She has a passion for the game. She always asks questions and wants an explanation for everything. She is very determined, really disciplined, resilient and a person of great character.

“She came to me last summer unhappy that she hadn’t had as good a [sophomore] season as she wanted. She had lost her confidence but not her will.”

Marumoto has been trying to work with Pearson on quickness, on moving her feet better and reacting faster to defenses. Marumoto has been telling Pearson that it is not her shooting motion that needs work but her ability to get open long enough to shoot without pressure.

That is what happened Saturday night all of a sudden. Pearson was getting open. And then hitting. Then getting more open and hitting some more. For 17 points off the bench and as the instigator for the most important Bruin spurt of the game. But what was even nicer was to hear Pearson take the time to thank Marumoto. A person of character playing with character on a night when character was needed.

Diane Pucin can be reached at her e-mail address: diane.pucin@latimes.com