her a unique and crucial asset to not only Pauls business but the AFL as an industry. ?Im not here to sack people and decide who hosts TV shows and who commentates football games but I see what fem

LOS ANGELES -- Pacific kept it close in the first half against the No. 9 UCLA women.Then the Bruins clamped down defensively in the third quarter when they shot 68 percent on their way to an 82-55 season-opening victory Friday night.Monique Billings had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Jordin Canada just missed a triple-double with 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for the Bruins. Oklahoma transfer Nicole Kornet had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Kennedy Burke added 10 points.The good news is we sort of had a maturity about we have to grind this out, UCLA coach Cori Close said. If youre going to have a bad shooting night, you have to rely on your defense.UCLA forced 16 steals and blocked 12 shots, led by Billings with five.Desire Finnie led Pacific with 17 points and GeAnna Luaulu-Summers added 14 points, making all six of her free throws. She had five of the Tigers 26 turnovers, which led to 25 points by the Bruins. They had 21 turnovers.It was frustrating, Luaulu-Summers said. We couldnt get a bucket. Our turnovers really killed us.UCLA rallied to take a 38-32 lead at halftime after starting the game 8 of 23 from the floor.The Tigers got to 42-38 early in the third on a 3-pointer by Jessica Blakeslee.Thats when UCLA took over. The Bruins shot 68 percent from the floor and outscored the Tigers 33-12 in the period.We got punched in the mouth and it was time for us to punch back, Billings said.She and Canada had six points each in a 28-6 run that closed the third. The Bruins defense stepped up, too, limiting the Tigers to 29 percent shooting while getting nine stops in a row.They did a good job of rebounding the ball and we got a little bit undisciplined with what we were doing, Tigers coach Bradley Davis said. They did turn it on there in the third.It was the second blowout of a Tigers team in the same night. Earlier, the No. 16 UCLA men routed Pacific 119-80 in their season opener.BIG PICTUREPacific: Last season, the Tigers opponents averaged 18.2 points in the third quarter. The Bruins upped that number considerably.UCLA: It was the Bruins 400th home victory in program history. Theyve recorded 363 at Pauley Pavilion and 37 in the John R. Wooden Center. Close needs one win to reach 100 starting her sixth season.SECRET WEAPONBurke played in all 35 games last season as a freshman, averaging 5.8 points and 3.7 rebounds.She did a little bit of everything against the Tigers, hitting a 3-pointer, making 3 of 4 free throws, getting two rebounds and three assists.We used to call her the secret weapon, Billings said. She comes in and brings so much energy and a spark.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Bruins are starting the season with their highest ranking since they were sixth to begin the 1999 season.UP NEXTPacific: Host UC Merced on Sunday.UCLA: Visit second-ranked Baylor on Monday in an early season showdown.Wholesale Stitched Jerseys . The 31-year-old Spain midfielder hasnt played since Madrid lost in the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid in May due to back and foot injuries. Jerseys NFL Wholesale . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. http://www.cheapjerseysfinish.com/ . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Cheap Authentic Jerseys . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. NFL Jerseys Supply . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left.A significant difference in the television presentation of a Sunday of NFL action and say a super Saturday on Fox Footy is the clear lack of a female voice at and around our grounds.Tune into ESPN, Fox, NBC or any other network that televises the NFL and you will see several talented female sportscasters working the sidelines, gathering game-day information and providing by-the-minute news and updates for their respective programs. For some years now I have watched Erin Andrews dominate the sidelines in the NFL as a news reporter. Her work is first class and she has attained national recognition for it - but she is just one of many in the US where some of the most well-regarded, talented and even revered expert analysts and commentators are from the fairer sex.Whilst in-game commentary and sportscasting is still dominated by men in the AFL, over in America the likes of ESPN, Fox and NBC all have well-credentialed women providing insight and information to viewers and listeners. Michele Tafoya, Suzy Kolber and Lisa Salters are three others who are ingrained features to NBC and ESPNs NFL coverage.But that female voice is nowhere to be heard in AFL, and that needs to change.Kelli Underwood assumed a role as a play-by-play commentator with One HD and Channel Ten a few years ago, but she was soon gone and a female voice has been lacking at games ever since. Yes, Sarah Jones, Neroli Meadows, Sam Lane and even the NRLs Erin Moylan have prominent roles on match days but that has been exclusive to pre and post-game shows. They also do valuable and excellent work throughout the football week and sometimes pre-and post-matches. But there is not enough girl-power on game day.Were overdue for someone like Jones or Meadows to be hunting stories on the sidelines or hosting games. Maybe in-game commentary is not yet in the plans for these women, but we sure as heck need more from them, and others, before and after the siren.It seems TV is the only medium still struggling to feature strong women in the AFL industry, as elsewhere, women are excelling.Caroline Wilson has, and continues to be, the pioneer for all women with aspirations of covering AFL footy. Caroline is front and centre in the football world, particularly in Melbourne where she is prominent with her roles at The Age newspaper and on 3AW radio before and after matches. Caro also has a seat at the panel on the hard-hitting Footy Classified on Channel Nine where no one is held to a higher account than the account Caroline holds her interviewees. ?A couple of newer faces on the scene have breathed new life into the 24/7 Fox Footy channel. With the introduction of AFL Tonight on weekdays, Jones and Meadows have become mainstays for all things newsworthy and Jones introduction into Thursday and Friday night pre-game on Fox has been a superb decision from those above. But we need more.With panels consisting of Dermott Brereton, Mark Maclure, Mark Thompson, Cameron Mooney, Barry Hall, Mark Ricciuto and Gerard Healy among others, Jones has added a slice of professionalism and poignancy to usually loose, off-the-cuff programs. Meadows is clearly a talented and hard-working journalist like many others in the sports media industry but her addition to the TV screens has also been stellar. Her ability to gain just a little bit more out of her guests is evident. Like another footy journo veteran, Sam Lane.Theyre fantastic, but as I wrote earlier, I tthink the AFL lacks a female voice on game day.dddddddddddd ?Hopefully, its changing, albeit at a snail-like pace. Last week, I briefly caught a glimpse of Jones doing some boundary riding last week and I was thrilled to see it. Having watched dozens of NFL and NBA matches with Andrews, Kolber and Salters covering games, it was a?finally?moment when I saw Jones chatting to a player just before halftime. Right now there are a few too many ex-players asking vanilla questions of players before, during and after matches. Its time for quality journalists like Lane, Jones, Meadows and others to be more involved.The AFL industry is much more open and accepting now than it was even a decade ago, which is fantastic, with women working in key positions across many facets of the industry. Footballs women are now prominent across numerous forms of media whilst there are more than a few female members of AFL boards. We also have the introduction of the womens national football league which kickstarts in 2017.A little bit closer to home, a certain women played a major role in my recent contract negotiations. Yes, Paul Connors is the wizard when it comes to wheeling and dealing contracts but Melissa Oberhofer is the day-to-day resource who understands her players, relates to their problems and engages with family and friends. Mel takes care of everything for her boys. But she is far more than that.Player manages are often seen as a necessity in footy - but rarely are they seen in the light that the Connors Sports players see Mel. You wont hear a bad word spoken about her!This isnt just a love-in to win some brownie points but its worthwhile mentioning the great work Mel does, but more importantly the quality of the work she does and the different perspective she brings as a female. I often joke that Paul is about business and Mel is about leisure but truthfully, Mel has an excellent blend of both. When she senses one of her boys needs a helping hand, she is first on the scene. And when something needs to be said, no matter who is on the receiving end, she stands up and says it.Mel knows her players, she knows their families, she knows the clubs and she knows the game and everything it has to offer. People like Mel truly make the game tick in a positive manner. Her dedication to her players and her role within the company and the competition makes her a unique and crucial asset to not only Pauls business but the AFL as an industry. ?Im not here to sack people and decide who hosts TV shows and who commentates football games but I see what females like Jones, Meadows, Lane and countless others have to offer our sport. Currently, we are underutilising their expertise.The last person I will mention may not be a household name just yet but she will be soon. Daisy Pearce is female footy royalty, having dominated Victorian womens competitions for the best part of a decade. You may have also seen some of Daisys work on Channel Sevens AFL Gameday. She knows and loves the game, and alongside Hamish McLachlan, has been a brilliant addition.A full-time role within footy awaits Daisy and Im sure there are many other polished performers like her ready to be inserted into a male-saturated industry that is crying out for some quality female talent in all phases of the game we all love. ' ' '