UCLA Women Are Blitzed by National Team, 112-55

A year ago, Nicole Kaczmarski was preparing for her senior year at Sachem High in Middle Island, N.Y. Friday night, she began her collegiate career at UCLA playing against the U.S. national team and its tandem of dream team point guards, Nikki McCray and Ruthie Bolton-Holifield.

“I just looked at it as a good experience,” said Kaczmarski, who averaged 26 points and six rebounds to earn national player of the year honors as a senior. “It’s a great honor to be able to play against the best in the world. I wasn’t really in awe, just a little tentative offensively.”

Although the Bruins lost their exhibition opener to Team USA, 112-55, in front of 1,771 at Pauley Pavilion, UCLA Coach Kathy Olivier was impressed with Kaczmarski’s play at the point.

“Here it was, her first game as a collegian, and I was getting on her, not the seniors,” Olivier said. “She showed a lot of leadership and handled the ball really well.”

Kaczmarski, who finished with six points, four assists and five turnovers in a game-high 34 minutes, will be getting a lot of playing time because senior All-American point guard Erica Gomez is expected to be out until January after surgery on her left shoulder.

UCLA was also without standout junior guard LaCresha Flannigan and senior forward Maylana Martin. Sophomore guard Michelle Greco also sat out.

Still, their presence may not have made much of a difference against a squad that has 10 Olympic or World Championship gold medalists.

Senior forward Takiyah Jackson led UCLA with 14 points. Former USC center Lisa Leslie had a game-high 27 points, six rebounds and six blocks for the U.S. National Team.

UCLA’s next exhibition is Nov. 14 against the Czech Republic.