Billings and Canada hope to propel UCLA to Sweet 16 again
LOS ANGELES (AP) UCLA will just need to win one more home game to advance to the Sweet 16 for the third straight year.
The third-seeded Bruins host 11th-seeded Creighton on Monday evening in the second round of the women's NCAA Tournament.
It will be the final home game for seniors Monique Billings and Jordin Canada. The pair has been huge in the success of the Bruins during their careers.
''I don't have a favorite memory, but from our freshman year with the record that we had and then developing into our sophomore, junior, and senior years, how we only lost three home games within those three years combined, so we would want to replicate that tomorrow night,'' Billings said. ''That's just something really cool, to have that under our belt like `wow, we only lost three games at home.' It's really cool to say that we were a part of that and how our team has grown. I think that's a memory of mine that I'll always cherish.''
Billings was the key in the opening round win over American on Saturday. She had 10 points during a 22-3 run over the final 4:33 of the opening quarter in that victory. Canada had 10 points and 11 assists.
This will be the second meeting between the schools this season. UCLA beat Creighton 72-63 over Thanksgiving in Las Vegas. The Bluejays advanced to the rematch by upsetting No. 6 Iowa in the opening round.
''There are still a lot of good and bad things we can take from our first game against UCLA,'' Creighton guard Myah Mellman said. ''I think moving forward, rebounding, ball security and limiting turnovers are going to be really important for us in order to get a win.''
UCLA coach Cori Close knows beating the Bluejays a second time will be more difficult.
Creighton is a really good basketball team,'' Close said. ''They have a similar type of style that we faced in American. It's going to be whatever style of play, whichever team can impose their will the way they want to play the game, will have a lot to do with it. But we're excited to continue to keep playing.
''You build championship skills and then you build championship preparation. You build championship level mentality. I think that's part of what we have needed to mature in all this year. When we're a top 10 program for most of the season in terms of rankings, you do have a target on your back.''
Creighton coach Jim Flanery said knocking off the Bruins is a monumental task.
''Obviously, we have a big challenge tomorrow night,'' Flanery said. ''The good news is we have some familiarity with UCLA because we played them and our players were able to watch them a little bit yesterday, which, I think, can possibly be helpful.
''They have speed, strength and length. In the game yesterday, American played really well. Other than the stretch at the end of the first quarter and the end of the second quarter, they played even. There was that one barrage, where UCLA was able to score, set up their press, and American had some backcourt turnovers that led to some baskets and UCLA made a couple threes at the end of the first quarter and the start of the second quarter, and all of a sudden, the lead is 18. You have to be able to limit a run to five to six points, not 10 or 12. They're hard enough to guard in the half court. If we turn the ball over and give them easy baskets, then it's going to be really difficult for us to overcome that.''
With a victory the Bluejays will advance to their first Sweet 16 in school history. Creighton, which finished fourth in the Big East this season, is making its seventh NCAA appearance with a record of 5-6.
The Bruins are making its 15th NCAA appearance with a record of 15-14. With their victory over AU, UCLA has won seven consecutive first round games. The Bruins best finish in the tournament was in 1999 when they advanced to the Elite Eight.
