UCLA To Face Love and Basketball In Tune-Up For Regular Season DATE: Oct. 28, 2008 • SID CONTACTS: Steve Rourke/Liza David PHONE: 310-206-6831 • E-MAIL: [email protected] or [email protected] Website: uclabruins.com 2008-09 SCHEDULE/RESULTS GAMEDAY CENTRAL 2008-09 OUTLOOK 2007-08 Overall Record: 16-15 DATE: Nov. 2, 2008 The focus of the UCLA team this year is a theme Pac-10 Record: 10-8 (T4th place) OPPONENT: Love and Basketball of "earned, never given." The Bruins will feature NOVEMBER: SITE: Pauley Pavilion (12,819) an up-tempo style of play based on defense and TIP-OFF: 2:05 p.m. control of the boards. 2 Love & Basketball (Ex.) 2:00 pm TICKETS: $12 adults/$10 youth (Reserved) "The defense will seek to delay and disrupt," says 9 Team SRP (Ex.) 2:00 pm $8 adults/$6 youth (GA) Head Coach Nikki Caldwell. "We will change our 16 Cal State Fullerton 2:00 pm UCLA Central Ticket Offi ce (310-UCLA-WIN) 18 Pepperdine 7:00 pm defenses up and extend it at times. We want to AUDIO/VIDEO: uclabruins.com 23 at Maryland 2:00 pm (ET) control the boards to control the tempo of the TALENT: Dave Marcus (play-by-play) 26 at Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) 7:00 pm game. On offense, we will focus on player movement, Michael Sondheimer (color) 30 Cal State Northridge 2:00 pm ball movement and spacing. Our players will move WEB: uclabruins.com with a purpose and take care of the ball." DECEMBER: Two Bruin seniors return to the fold and will be 3 CSU Bakersfi eld 7:00 pm CALDWELL ERA BEGINS WITH keys to helping trigger the defensive pressure and 7 Nevada 2:00 pm EXHIBITION GAME SUNDAY maxing out the energy on the boards, which is 14 San Diego 2:00 pm stressed by coach Caldwell. Guard Tierra Hender- 17 at Rice 5:00 pm (CT) On April 17, 2008, UCLA announced the hiring of son, a fi rst-team All-Pac-10 Defensive team selection, 21 Kansas (TV - FSN) 12:00 pm Nikki Caldwell as head women's basketball coach. 29 at Texas Tech 7:00 pm (CT) Caldwell joined the Bruins after serving as an as- led the team and ranked third in the conference sistant coach at the University of Tennessee for the in steals per game (2.0). Center/forward Chinyere JANUARY: past six seasons, including the last two National Ibekwe saw action in 28 games last season with 2 Oregon State* 7:00 pm Championship campaigns in 2007 and 2008. In her three starts and will be asked to commit to being 4 Oregon* 2:00 pm 14 seasons as a collegiate player (1991-1994 at Ten- a "defensive stopper in the post and an animal on 11 USC* (TV - FSN) 2:30 pm nessee) and as an assistant coach (Tennessee 1999, the boards." 15 at Arizona State* 11:00 am (MT) Virginia 2000-02, Tennessee 2003-08), Caldwell's Three juniors are also back. Erica Tukiainen is a 17 at Arizona* 2:00 pm (MT) teams have posted an amazing 404-76 record and versatile wing player who started in 15 of the fi nal 22 Washington State* 7:00 pm appeared in the NCAA Tournament each season, 16 contests last year. She can shoot the three and 24 Washington* 2:00 pm while winning three national championships. handle multiple positions on the court. Center 29 at California* 7:00 pm Caldwell's Bruins will battle Love and Basketball, Moniquee Alexander started 15 games a year ago FEBRUARY: a team comprised of former collegiate players, on and will be counted on to become a presence Sunday, Nov. 2, at 2 pm in Pauley Pavilion. Former on the low block and to anchor the paint. Guard 1 at Stanford* (TV - FSN) 1:00 pm Allison Taka is one of the team's most capable 8 at USC* 2:00 pm Bruin guard Natalie Nakase (1999-2003) is expected outside shooters. 12 Arizona* 7:00 pm to play for Love and Basketball. The team is coached 14 Arizona State* 2:00 pm by Colleen Matsuhara, a former Bruin assistant Five members of one of UCLA's most productive 20 at Washington* 7:00 pm coach and athletic administrator. freshman classes return after posting combined aver- 22 at Washington State* 1:00 pm 27 Stanford* 7:00 pm 2008-09 NUMERICAL ROSTER MARCH: No. Name Pos Ht Yr Hometown (High School) 1 California* 12 or 2:00 pm 1 Nina Earl F 6-1 So. Pomona, CA (Diamond Ranch HS) 5 at Oregon* 7:00 pm 7 at Oregon State* 12:30 pm 2 Tierra Henderson G 5-10 Sr. Pasadena, CA (Muir HS) 12 Pac-10 Tournament - Galen Center TBD 3 Darxia Morris G 5-8 So. Pasadena, CA (Muir HS) 13 Pac-10 Tournament - Galen Center TBD 4 Christina Nzekwe F/C 6-4 So. Seattle, WA (Chief Sealth HS) 14 Pac-10 Tournament - Galen Center TBD 10 Allison Taka G 5-8 Jr. Culver City, CA (Culver City HS) 15 Pac-10 Tournament - Galen Center TBD 11 Atonye Nyingifa G 5-11 Fr. Torrance, CA (Redondo Union HS) NCAA Tournament: 13 Erica Tukiainen G 6-0 Jr. Los Angeles, CA (Windward HS) 21 Doreena Campbell G 5-10 So. Alexandria, VA (Edison HS) Mar. 21-24 - NCAA 1st/2nd Rounds Mar. 28-31 - NCAA Regionals 23 Chinyere Ibekwe C/F 6-4 Sr. Los Angeles, CA (Carson HS) Apr. 5 & 7 - NCAA Final Four (St. Louis) 24 Candice Brown F 6-3 So. Riverside, CA (Bishop Amat HS) 31 Moniquee Alexander C 6-6 Jr. Harbor City, CA (Edison Academic Center) Home games are played in Pauley Pavilion and noted 35 Rebekah Gardner G 5-10 Fr. Upland, CA (Ayala HS) in boldface All times listed are local to site & subject to change Head Coach: Nikki Caldwell, 1st season (Tennessee '94) Assistant Coaches: Stacie Terry, Tony Perotti, Tasha Butts Director of Operations: Pam Walker pg. 1 of 4 ages of 29.4 points and 15 rebounds while starting events. Terry has also been an assistant at the Uni- UCLA has won its last two openers and has a 23-11 a total of 59 games. Three returning players (guard versity of Illinois, Dayton and Louisville. all-time record in fi rst games. The Bruins defeated Doreena Campbell, fi rst team; forward Nina Earl Perotti comes to UCLA from Northern Arizona Cal State Northridge last season, in Northridge, by and guard Darxia Morris, honorable mention) were University, where he spent the last four seasons as a score of 81-69 on Nov. 14, 2007. selected to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team. Campbell an assistant. The past two years he was associate started in 30 games, ranked eighth in the Pac-10 head coach. Perotti served primarily as the team's INCOMING FRESHMEN in assists (3.37) and was named to the honorable recruiting coordinator, game scouting coordinator UCLA welcomes Atonye Nyingifa of Redondo Union mention All-Pac-10 team. Earl appeared in all 31 and in the development of perimeter players. Perotti High School in Redondo Beach, CA and Rebekah games with 15 starts. She was tied for second on has also been an assistant at the University of San Gardner of Ayala High School in Chino Hills, CA to the team with Campbell in scoring at 8.7 points Francisco. He is a graduate of Tennessee. Westwood for the 2008-09 season. The signing of per game. Morris ranked ninth in the conference Nyingifa and Gardner last fall gave UCLA the No. in steals (1.64) and averaged 7.5 points per game. Butts, a standout player at the University of Tennes- 12 overall recruiting class by HoopGurlz.com. She appeared in 28 games and started in 12 con- see (2001-04) and then in the WNBA, came West tests. Forward/center Christina Nzekwe played from Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA), where double-fi gure minutes in 25 of her 31 games last she was an assistant coach in 2007-08. MAKING THE GRADE season while averaging 3.0 points and 3.1 rebounds. In addition, Pam Walker will continue on staff as the Four returning members of the the Bruin squad Forward Candice Brown saw action in 26 games Director of Operations after serving on the Bruin made the UCLA Athletic Director's honor roll with two starts and ranked fourth on the team in coaching staff for the previous 19 seasons. (3.0 of better with at least 12 graded units) during blocked shots (10). the 2007-08 academic year. Allison Taka earned a A couple of highly regarded freshmen, guard Rebekah PRE-SEASON GPA of 3.5 or above during all three quarters. Erica Gardner (Ayala HS) and guard/forward Atonye Ny- PROGNOSTICATIONS Tukiainen made the Athletic Director's honor roll for ingifa (Redondo Union HS), also join the mix. Both both the 2008 Winter and Spring quarters. Doreena The Pac-10 women’s basketball coaches picked players were named their division's CIF Southern Campbell and Christina Nzekwe were honor roll UCLA to fi nish fi fth in the conference in the annual Section Player of the Year in 2008. students for the the Fall 2007 quarter. pre-season poll. Stanford, with six fi rst-place votes, was a slight favorite to fi nish fi rst. The Cardinal ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS WHAT'S RETURNING (78 points) were followed by Cal (four fi rst-place 70% - Field Goals Made (547-786) votes, 76), Arizona State (65), USC (55), UCLA (48), All-Pac-10 70% - Games Started (109/155) Oregon (40), Washington (27), Oregon State (25), First Team - Lindsey Pluimer* 77% - Minutes Played (47 63/6225) Washington State (20), and Arizona (16).