Greco Heads Up UCLA’s Victory Over Arizona

UCLA guard Michelle Greco has gone to the bench four times this season because of concussion-like symptoms that resulted from elbows or forearms to the head.

But it was Greco who gave Arizona a headache Saturday with a late-game shooting blitz that knocked the No. 15 Wildcats out of first place in the Pacific 10 Conference women’s basketball race and catapulted No. 24 UCLA back into a share of the conference lead.

Greco, a sophomore guard, scored 11 points during a 5 1/2-minute stretch in the second half and UCLA went on to win, 80-66, before 2,532 at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA, which swept Arizona, is 15-7 overall and 9-3 in conference play. Stanford and Oregon also are 9-3 in the Pac-10. Oregon plays at Washington today.

Arizona is 20-5 overall and 9-4 in conference play.

UCLA and Arizona were tied, 36-36, at halftime.

Bruin fans began squirming when UCLA center Maylana Martin, who scored 16 points, went to the bench with her fourth personal foul with 8:24 left and the Bruins leading, 54-49.

Then, Greco became the second consecutive UCLA reserve to have a breakout performance.

On Thursday, it was Takiyah Jackson who led UCLA to victory over Arizona State.

On Saturday, Greco scored 18 of her 22 points in the second half. She made all seven of her field-goal attempts and all eight of her free throws. She also had six steals in 27 minutes.

Greco entered the game and quickly made two free throws for a 56-49 lead. Then she made a six-foot baseline jumper and two more free throws for a 60-51 lead with 6:50 left.

Thirty seconds later, she picked up a loose ball under the UCLA basket after an Arizona turnover and put it in for a 64-51 lead.

Four minutes later, she added two more free throws, increasing the Bruins’ advantage to 70-56.

Greco said she was abiding by a new team rule that, if violated, would terminate her season.

“On Monday, I was evaluated by the team doctor and was told if I fail to wear my mouthpiece in any practice or game, I’m through for the season,” she said afterward.

“When I got forearmed in the jaw at Cal last week, it left me really dazed. The doctor felt the mouthpiece would have prevented it. Arizona State was my first game back, and while I pretty much blocked out what happened at Cal, in traffic I was still kind of looking out for elbows and forearms.”

Greco’s performance left Arizona Coach Joan Bonvicini wistfully wondering what might have been. Arizona had won six consecutive games when it arrived Wednesday in Los Angeles. The Wildcats lost to USC and UCLA.

“I’m very disappointed with this road trip, it means all five games we have remaining are huge,” she said.

“Greco did a great job for them. They turned up their defensive intensity in the second half--they got a lot of tips and steals.”

Arizona outrebounded UCLA, 37-33, but thanks to Greco’s marksmanship and six-for-nine shooting by Martin, the Bruins shot 46% to Arizona’s 43%. UCLA made 25 of 35 free throws.

Now UCLA must prepare for playing Oregon at McArthur Court, where a capacity crowd of 9,000 will be looking for a repeat of last season’s 105-79 crunching of UCLA.

“Our offense right now isn’t as fluid as it needs to be, but we sure need it to be at Oregon,” UCLA Coach Kathy Olivier said.

“We need to be together as a team, communicating--if we can play up there as a tight unit, we can be successful.”