First-Rate Opponent for No. 4 Bruins

UCLA’s fourth-ranked women’s basketball team gets a chance this afternoon to measure itself against the sport’s dominant program, Tennessee.

And the Bruins hope the resultant measurements can be read in feet, not centimeters, as was the case when given a similar opportunity a year ago in Knoxville, Tenn.

Tennessee won that one, 100-77, before 19,722. It was Tennessee’s 13th win over UCLA against one loss.

Yet both came up short at season’s end. Tennessee was upended in the regionals by Duke, and UCLA reached the final eight before losing to Louisiana Tech in the West final.

And while Tennessee adjusts to a major personnel loss (Chamique Holdsclaw), UCLA has a major addition.

She’s Nicole Kaczmarski, a 5-foot-11 freshman guard from Long Island, N.Y., a master of the no-look pass, drives through the key and long-range jump shots.

The Lady Vols won six NCAA championships between 1987 and 1998, and Holdsclaw--who has moved on to the WNBA--was the linchpin on three of those teams.

So how’s life after Chamique?

It must be pretty good, considering Pat Summitt’s team started off with a 65-64 victory over the U.S. Olympic team in Knoxville Nov. 7.

But then came a 69-64 loss to Louisiana Tech, and Summitt said Holdsclaw’s absence was clearly felt.

“We miss the fact Chamique consistently gave us big plays in big situations in big games, and also her offensive rebounding,” Summitt said Saturday.

“We’re capable, I think, of making up some of that with Tamika [Catchings] and Semeka [Randall].”

Tennessee arrives at Pauley Pavilion this afternoon 2-1, after surviving a tight game Friday night at Stanford in which the Lady Vols scored the last 11 points to win, 79-73. They earlier defeated Tennessee Martin, 133-60.

UCLA is 2-0, with victories over North Carolina (69-65) and Texas (84-77 in overtime).

The Bruins get two top-five teams back to back. They next travel to Orlando, Fla., for a Dec. 5 game against second-ranked Louisiana Tech.

This is the season UCLA Coach Kathy Olivier has been pointing to since she achieved a major recruiting class four years ago, highlighted by 6-3 forward-center Maylana Martin, now a senior and projected as a possible top draft pick by the WNBA.

Forward Marie Philman (6-0), center Janae Hubbard (6-4), Kaczmarski and guard LaCresha Flannigan (5-7) will start, and at least one of them will have to deal with one of the nation’s premier defenders, Randall. Which one? Whoever shows a hot hand.

Summitt is expected to start at forward the 6-1 Catchings (daughter of former NBA player Harvey Catchings) and Randall (5-10), both preseason All-Americans.

The center is 6-3 Shalon Pillow but 6-5 Michelle Snow came off the bench to control the offensive boards for Tennessee at Stanford. Ace Clement (5-11) and freshman Kara Lawson (5-9) are the starting guards.