UCLA Basketball: After six straight wins, the women are back in the Pac-12 hunt

The UCLA basketball women’s team are riding a six-game win streak which has shot them up the Pac-12 standings and put them in a good position to contend for the conference title.

UCLA basketball head coach Cori Close has her team playing some very good basketball right now. Forget about their 7-5 start in non-conference play, the Bruins are making a move in the Pac-12 and it is counting for a lot.

Things started off with wins at USC and Cal (who was ranked at the time). The Bruins even had a close game at then-#8 Stanford. But then two loses at home against the Oregon schools and an embarrassing loss to crosstown rival USC seemed to put them in their place.

But here is the thing about this UCLA basketball team, they were not content with having their place way down the Pac-12 standings.

More from Go Joe Bruin

• UCLA Football: It’s time for the nation to meet Dante Moore
• UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
• UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
• UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
• UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show

Since that four-game losing streak, the Bruins have countered with six straight wins which have them sitting all by themselves in 4th place in the conference standings. And it is not just the fact that they are getting wins, its how and where they are getting wins.

In the last six games, the Bruins have taken down two ranked teams, but what makes these wins even more exceptional is the fact that both victories were on the road. For the season, UCLA is 6-1 on the road with two sweeps in the conference. Their most recent came this weekend at the mountain schools as the Bruins topped Colorado and #17 Utah.

The win at Utah was especially remarkable as the Bruins scored 63 second-half points leading to a 100-90 win, the most points the Bruins have scored in a game this season.

So the Bruins are on a roll, but it only gets harder from here. UCLA has six regular season games remaining with four coming against ranked teams. Four of those games are at home, with two roads games being played at #3 Oregon and #7 Oregon State.

With the resiliency this team is displaying, the Bruins could make a solid run for the regular season title, but they are going to have to dig deep if they are trying to end with a few relevant wins. It will take a lot to capture the Pac-12, but the Bruins also have something else to play for if they can’t get to the top of the standings… a bye in the Pac-12 Tournament.

If UCLA can hold that 4th spot, they will start the tourney on Thursday as opposed to Wednesday, putting them against the 5/12 winner. With the way the Bruins have been playing, their resume which continues to impress, and a strong showing in the conference tournament, UCLA should have enough clout to be considered for the NCAA Tournament.

This is a great goal, but first things first… Beat Stanford!