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UCLA Basketball: The women take their show on the road

By Mike Regalado

2 Dec 1998: General view of the mascot for the UCLA Bruins in action during the game against the Delaware State Stinging Hornets at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles, California. UCLA defeated Delaware State 109-67. Mandatory Credit: David Taylor /Allsport
2 Dec 1998: General view of the mascot for the UCLA Bruins in action during the game against the Delaware State Stinging Hornets at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles, California. UCLA defeated Delaware State 109-67. Mandatory Credit: David Taylor /Allsport /
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The Women’s UCLA basketball team is off to a hot start this season, but the road test lies ahead with the end of the non-conference and the start of Pac-12 play.

A nationally televised battle in hostile territory. Five games on the road. The last two to start Pac-12 play against the second and third best teams in the conference. What could go wrong for the women’s UCLA basketball team?

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For these Bruins, it’s not about what could go wrong but how prepared will they be in the next stretch of games and stay at the top as one of the nation’s best basketball teams.

UCLA has done a fantastic job early in the season with a 7-1 record. Their only loss was to #1 Connecticut. Other than that, the Bruins have rolled through their opponents.

Even with their 18-point lost Connecticut, this season the Bruins are averaging a +20.0 point margin of victory. Part of that has to do with their 60-point win in their season opener with a 129-69 victory over San Jose State. They even took down then#3 Baylor.

Yes, the Bruins are good, but just how good? We’re going find out in the next five games which will all be played away from Pauley Pavilion.

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Their adventure begins tonight as the Bruins head to Stillwater to take on the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. This is a dangerous game the Bruins are walking into. OSU is 6-2 have played some decent basketball this season with their only losses to Tennessee and Mississippi State, both ranked in the Top 25.

They will definitely step things up tonight as they welcome the #7 UCLA Bruins to their house which will be broadcasted of Fox Sports. Quite a big game for both teams. But it gets much harder for UCLA after that.

Next week the Bruins head to Seton Hall, followed by a trip to New York to face Fordham. Then the road trip ends with the start of Pac-12 play against #18 Stanford and #25 Cal. What a way to get introduced to conference play.

Aside form their two games in Las Vegas for the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout, the Bruins have not been away from Westwood with six games in the sweet comforts of home. Now they walk into five different lairs of fierce competition. UCLA has to continue to play the game they know how to play, uptempo with a commitment to defense, but it will not be so easy as they enter a very tough stretch.

A team playing their first true road game of the season is tough. Playing five consecutive true road games is a nightmare. Still, it is a test the Bruins have to show some fight, fight, fight in to prove to the nation that they are a top their team. We know this, now the nation needs to know this.