Riaan 
NgoLwesihlanu, usuku olwandulela umdlalo omkhulu wesizini, Cori Vala uqoqe abadlali bakhe phakathi nenkundla ukuze baqale ukuzilolonga. Nge UCLAUmdlalo womzuliswano wokuqala ususondele, umqeqeshi ubefuna ukusetha ithoni eqenjini lakhe. Ayikho inkulumo evuthayo ekhuthazayo edingekayo.
AbakwaBruins babe nephathi yokudansa esikhundleni salokho.
Ngebhalansi yokugxila nenkululeko, No. 4 UCLA ukudansa emzuliswaneni wesibili yomqhudelwano we-NCAA, lapho izobhekana khona no-No. 5 Oklahoma (27-6) ngoMsombuluko ngo-7 pm PDT e-Pauley Pavilion.
I-Bruins (26-9) isele ngokuwina okukodwa ohambweni lwayo lwesikhombisa ukuya ku- I-16 emnandi futhi yokuqala kusukela ngo-2019. Iziteki ziyakhuphuka ngomdlalo ngamunye, kodwa u-Close ufuna nje ukuthi abadlali bakhe bajabulele umuzwa wokuphila iphupho lezingane lokudlala ku-March Madness.
“Uma ukhululekile ngemuva kokuwina, awukutholi lokhu mayelana nokuthi lokhu kumayelana nani,” kusho u-Clase ngeSonto, enanela umyalezo awuzwe kumqeqeshi we-basketball wabesilisa waseKentucky uJohn Calipari. “Angifuni badlale ngokulingana. Ngifuna badlale mahhala. Ngifuna badlale begxile futhi ngifuna badlale ngokukhulu ukubonga nenjabulo.”
Ngemva ukulahlekelwa yiWashington State kugeyimu yesihloko se-Pac-12, Vala ubone ukubaluleka kokugcizelela ubumnandi phakathi nemidlalo enengcindezi ephezulu kakhulu yesizini. Uzisole ngokungakwenzi lokho ngokwanele ngemuva kokuthi abakwaBruins bebambe ongezansi uStanford emdlalweni owandulela owamanqamu.
Ngosuku olungemva kokunqoba okukhulu, i-UCLA yaqhubeka nebhizinisi njengenjwayelo, yafunda ifilimu ekuseni, yabe isiyozilolonga. Abadlali banikezwe usuku lwe-spa, kodwa njengoba umdlalo usondela, u-Close wezwa ukuthi abadlali bakhe bezicindezela kakhulu. Ushiye enomuzwa wokuthi abakwaBruins abadlalanga konke okusemandleni abo ngesikhathi esikhulu, behlulwa ngamane emdlalweni obushubile ngezinguquko eziholayo eziyi-13 nokulingana okuhlanu.
Ukuhlulwa kufundise uClose ukuthi akadingi ukugqugquzela leli qembu labadlali ukuthi lisebenze ngokuzikhandla. Bakwenza lokho ngokwabo. Kunalokho, kwakudingeka abakhumbuze ukuba badedele.
“Uma siqhubeka silungiselela ngokugxila kakhulu,” kusho uClose, “ngakho-ke kwakudingeka silethe injabulo enkulu.”
AbakwaBruins bazamile ukushaya leyo bhalansi ngesikhathi sekhefu lamasonto amabili phakathi kwemiqhudelwano ye-Pac-12 ne-NCAA. Bamangala ngezicathulo ezintsha kanye nezikhwama ze-swag brand yaseJordan ngemva kokuzilolonga ngolunye usuku. Baqhumisa umculo egunjini lokushintshela futhi bacule isitayela se-karaoke ebhasini leqembu.
Okungase kubhekwe njengesiphazamiso kwamanye amaqembu yinto esondeza amaBruins ndawonye, kusho unogada we-grad transfer Gina Conti.
“Kuyajabulisa, i-basketball imnandi,” kusho isihlabani sakudala se-Wake Forest. “Sisebenze kanzima ukufika lapha, kulungile ukuba khona, sijabulele lesi sikhathi.”
Njengoba sekusele usuku lonke kulindwe ngaphambi koMgqibelo ngo-8:30 pm PDT, abadlali bahlezi beziphumulele ekuseni ngokubuka eminye imidlalo yomqhudelwano. U-Conti, obedlala kumdlalo wakhe wokuqala womqhudelwano we-NCAA kuma-Bruins ngemuva kokulahlekelwa umzuliswano wokuqala ngo-2021 namaDikoni amaDeamon, waya esidlweni sasekuseni noyise, osedolobheni kulo mqhudelwano, wathola nesipho sezinwele egunjini lokushintshela. ngaphambi kokuqala inqubo yakhe evamile yangaphambi komdlalo.
“Sonke besijabule, umqhudelwano we-NCAA, March Madness,” kusho u-Conti, “Ngicabanga ukuthi sonke sikuzwile lokho futhi sikusebenzisele ukusifaka amandla. Uma besingezwa lutho, besingeke sibe nendaba nayo njengoba senza. Yinoma yiluphi uhlobo lombangi, noma yiluphi uhlobo lomsubathi, ngakho-ke ngicabanga ukuthi wonke umuntu ukusebenzise lokho ukuze kuzuze thina.”
AbakwaBruins bagxumele eSacramento State ngokuthola amaphuzu angu-14 angaphenduliwe ngekota yokuqala futhi bagijimela emzuliswaneni wesibili, lapho i-Oklahoma yethula isethi entsha yezinselelo.
I-Sooners iyiqembu elihamba phambili ngokushaya amagoli amaningi kuleli, ilinganiselwa ku-84.5 ngomdlalo ngamunye. Ngokuhamba phambili uMadi Williams kanye nonogada u-Taylor Robertson, i-Oklahoma ingelinye lamaqembu amabili ezweni elinamaphuzu amabili asebenzayo angama-2,000. U-Close uphawule i-Sooners njengenhlanganisela enamandla ye-Stanford ne-Utah ngendlela abadubula ngayo bekude.
I-UCLA ihambe ngo 1-3 ibhekene neCardinal kanye ne-Utes, amaqembu amabili aphezulu kuPac-12 kule sizini.
