No. 2 UCLA channels emotions for rematch with No. 4 USC
LOS ANGELES — Gabriela Jaquez is a self-proclaimed “chill” player during games. She’s never too high, never too low and always focused on her job.
She was not chill, however, after USC handed the Bruins their only loss of the season on Feb. 13.
“I was getting (ticked) off,” Jaquez told reporters Friday. “I think it’s good, for me at least, to get (ticked) off and get mad because I come out differently.”
The Bruins have lived with their emotions – embraced them – after that loss and the coaching staff has held space for them. Saturday night will allow UCLA to reconcile them as the second round of rivalry week tips off at Pauley Pavilion.
The Big Ten regular-season champion will also be determined, since both teams enter the matchup with identical 16-1 conference records. UCLA has the better overall record at 28-1, while USC is 26-2.
Head coach Cori Close said the team held individual meetings following the loss in which conversations and one-on-one film sessions happened. There was reflection on decision-making and situations in which mistakes took on greater weight than they should have.
“I was mad for a few days,” 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts said. “Watching the film, I was angry with a lot of stuff that I did individually, the team did. I just know that we’re so much better than that, and that was not a reflection of what our team wants at all.”
The takeaway from all the reverse-engineering was that the Bruins needed to play better as a team and play through whatever happens in the coming games.
“Things are gonna happen,” Close said to her team after practice Friday. “You’ve got to respond.”
UCLA returned to Westwood on Thursday after a two-game road trip but the “mind gym,” which focuses on mental training for basketball, has been in full swing all week and peaked Friday morning.
“Coach (Tasha Brown) today talked about, individually, how we all are as teammates when things are not going our way,” Betts said. “Do we have our teammates’ backs? Are we still invested in what we’re doing as a team? Do we still want to win? How are we on the bench?
“And I think that it kind of took everybody back because we had to reflect. It was hard for a few of us, but it just makes us think about – especially (Saturday), not everything’s going to go everybody’s way, but just making sure that we’re all in, and we’re invested and we do whatever the coaches want us to do.”
The Bruins will have to work together to stop USC’s JuJu Watkins, who made 6 of 9 3-pointers to put up 38 points against them in the last meeting.
UCLA couldn’t fully recover from its slow start and allowed Watkins to score 25 points in the first half.
“Everybody in the country knows which direction she likes to go, what shot she used,” Close said, “and they’re trying to take away from her. Her creativity and adjustment in how to get to those spots is remarkable.”
The NCAA named UCLA and USC as No. 1 seeds in its final top 16 reveal Thursday afternoon. Selection Sunday isn’t until March 16 though, and the Bruins have one more big test before then.
“It’s understanding that we can definitely beat them – and they’re a great team – but we have to play our game and do what’s best for us and come out there and show what we can do,” Jaquez said.
No. 4 USC (26-2, 16-1) at No. 2 UCLA (28-1, 16-1)
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Pauley Pavilion
TV: FOX