Final
UCLA routs Oregon St. to reach Pac-10 semis
Mar 13, 2010 - 6:16 AM By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports WriterLOS ANGELES(AP) -- UCLA made a big defensive play in almost every minute of its Pac-10 quarterfinal, setting a tournament record with 21 steals and forcing woeful Oregon State to set another record with 33 turnovers.
Just imagine what these Bruins could do if they gave an effort that actually pleased coach Nikki Caldwell.
Jasmine Dixon scored 14 points, Markel Walker added 10 and No. 23 UCLA rolled into the semifinals with a 60-44 victory over the Beavers on Friday night.
Erica Tukiainen hit three 3-pointers for the second-seeded Bruins (23-7), who have won nine straight and 13 of 14 in Caldwell's impressive second season. But not even a historically good defensive performance could please the coach, who swears UCLA will need a better effort to beat rival USC in its own gym on Saturday night.
"I was more disappointed because we didn't play together as a unit," Caldwell said. "There was a lot of individual play out there. We are a team that needs to make the extra pass. We've got to cover each other defensively in our rotation. We got away from the little things. We fell short in that area."
Still, UCLA's third easy victory over the Beavers this season set up a Golden State rivalry slate in the semifinals. No. 2 Stanford will face California before Los Angeles' crosstown showdown.
"Hopefully we're going to come out tomorrow and play harder, have fun," Tukiainen said. "I think it's going to be really competitive, heated. We beat SC at our place and they beat us over here, so we have some unfinished business."
The Bruins easily extended their longest winning streak since the 1998-99 season - also the year of their last Pac-10 title. Before entering the conference tournament with their highest seed ever, they even moved into the AP Top 25 this week for the first time since November 2006.
Nope, still not enough to please Caldwell.
"The team that showed up today, I told them in the locker room I hope they don't show up tomorrow, because I do think the outcome will not be in our favor," she said. "But I hope this team will decide who they are going to be tomorrow and from this day forward."
Julie Futch scored 13 points and Haiden Palmer added 10 for Oregon State (11-20), which set a new season high for turnovers in its 18th loss in 20 games. The Beavers forced UCLA to make 23 turnovers, but managed just 35 shots - 18 fewer than the Bruins - at the close of their third losing season in four years.
"We played a team on a mission tonight, that was clear," Oregon State coach LaVonda Wagner said. "Their pressure really bothered us. We gave the ball back to them too many times, and they also did a very nice job rebounding the ball."
The Beavers finished last in the Pac-10, but surprised seventh-seeded Washington in Thursday's first-round game. Leading scorer Talisa Rhea struggled against the Bruins, managing just five points on 2-of-8 shooting while making seven turnovers.
From the opening minutes, it was clear Oregon State was highly unlikely to pull a second straight upset. While the Beavers sometimes struggled to get the ball across halfcourt, the Bruins played tough defense and fluidly ran their offense for a wealth of open shots, taking a 37-18 halftime lead.
Kirsten Tilleman's turnover in traffic with 2:15 to play was the Beavers' 30th, establishing the new tournament record - and Oregon State made three more in the final minutes. UCLA's 21 steals surpassed its own tournament record, set against Cal in 2006.
After opening with a 13-3 run, UCLA scored eight straight points to take a 27-9 lead late in the first half. Futch's three 3-pointers were Oregon State's only points for the first 12 1/2 minutes.
The Beavers had 19 turnovers and 15 shots in the first half, managing just five field goals.
The Galen Center was largely empty for all four quarterfinal games, but UCLA had a small and vocal cheering section, even with the men's team facing Cal at Staples Center, just a short drive up Figueroa Street.
- PAC-10 TOURNAMENT
AT LOS ANGELES, CA
NCAA WOMENS BB OREGON ST 44
UCLA (23) 60 FINAL
Mar 13 12:16 AM - PAC-10 TOURNAMENT
AT LOS ANGELES, CA
NCAA WOMENS BB OREGON ST 18
UCLA (23) 37 HALFTIME
Mar 12 11:10 PM
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