Bruins Finally Run Out of Steam, 88-62

Louisiana Tech took UCLA apart inside and outside and raced to its 22nd consecutive victory Monday night and to this weekend’s Women’s Final Four in San Jose with a resounding 88-62 win before 5,302 at the Sports Arena.

UCLA (26-8) led early, but Louisiana Tech (30-2) caught the Bruins shortly before halftime, solving the UCLA zone defense with great passing, and, surprisingly, with superior strength inside.

UCLA point guard Erica Gomez, who sprained her right ankle Saturday night against Colorado State, didn’t start but played in each half, wearing a brace.

As it wore down toward the end, Louisiana Tech seemed to grow emboldened with its success against UCLA’s zone defense, developing a rhythm that the Bruins couldn’t interrupt.

One telling play seemed to sum up the game for UCLA.

With 8:45 to go and Louisiana Tech holding a 59-50 lead, Tech’s Monica Maxwell missed a three-point shot but Betty Lennox, only 5-foot-8, leaped high over UCLA’s 6-3 Maylana Martin and 6-4 Janae Hubbard for the rebound, then leaped over them again to score.

On the next trip down, Amanda Wilson scored inside on Martin and Hubbard and the score was 63-50 with 7:45 left.

With 6:23 left, it seemed buttoned up for Tech, with UCLA freshman guard Michelle Greco face-down at midcourt, watching Tamicha Jackson score on an uncontested layup. Jackson had just stripped her of the ball and the easy score made the score 69-50.

UCLA had its way with Louisiana Tech early. After Greco got a putback at 7:20 to give UCLA a 28-18 lead, Tech launched a 17-4 run to secure a 35-32 halftime lead.

Martin took the game’s first shot, a 10-foot baseline jumper, and made it, but Louisiana Tech jumped to a 5-2 lead on an 18-footer by Shaka Massey and a three-point basket by Maxwell.

After Hubbard scored on a putback, Greco brought UCLA partisans to their feet by driving right through the vaunted Lady Techster defense for easy layups 34 seconds apart.

That gave the Bruins a 10-6 lead, and baskets by Martin and LaCresha Flannigan made the score 14-10.

At that point, with 14:10 left in the first half, UCLA Coach Kathy Olivier sent in the hobbled Gomez to give Greco a rest.

The Lady Techsters then initiated their fullcourt press. Gomez tried a drive down the paint but was fouled and fell awkwardly beneath the basket. She made both free throws for a 21-14 lead.

After that, UCLA stretched the lead to 26-16 on free throws by Martin, a 12-footer by Hubbard and a free throw by Flannigan, who was knocked to the floor by Maxwell on a breakaway initiated by a Martin interception at the other end.

Defensively, UCLA was applying the brakes to Louisiana Tech’s fastbreak. When Hubbard fumbled away an offensive rebound at 5:45 and Maxwell wound up with an easy layup at the other end it was the Lady Techsters’ first true break.

The Lady Techsters finally caught the Bruins on back-to-back low post plays inside UCLA’s zone, with Massey and Wilson both getting wide open underneath and putting Tech on top, 29-28, with 2:25 left.

Maxwell scored twice in the half’s last minute. Freshman Ayana Walker scored on a breakaway with two seconds left.

Surprisingly, Tech beat UCLA badly on the offensive board, 17-6, in the first half. In fact, Wilson and Maxwell had a combined 17 rebounds while Martin, Hubbard and Marie Philman had a total of six.

NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT

FINAL FOUR

Friday at San Jose

Duke (28-6) vs. Georgia (27-6) 4 p.m.

Purdue (32-1) vs. La. Tech (30-2) 6:30 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunday at San Jose 6 p.m., ESPN

MONDAY

Duke 69, Tenn. 63

Georgia 89, Iowa St. 71

Purdue 75, Rutgers 62

La. Tech 88, UCLA 62