Mother Bruin Seizes Crown in UCLA's Women's March Madness Squad as Support Soars!
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s an hour before tipoff and Patti Close takes her usual seat near the UCLA bench. Mother Bruin is in the house, ready to cheer on the team coached by her daughter, Cori Close . That reassuring presence is felt whenever the players take the floor.
The next game is Saturday, when the overall No. 2 seeded Bruins (31-1) open March Madness against 16th-seeded Cal Baptist (23-10) at Pauley Pavilion. “She’s like the mayor,” Cori Close said.
Patti Close’s spirited attitude and energy belie her 80 years. She drives herself to games, arriving an hour before tipoff. Once, when Cori Close was an assistant at Florida State, she noticed her mother was late.
“She told me, ‘Don’t you ever do that again,’” Patti Close recalled. Cori Close says, “I just need to know she’s safe. ” At halftime, a steady stream of people stop by her mother’s seat to visit.
Post-game finds Patti Close in the interview room “to hear the straight scoop,” she said. Before Patti Close’s marriage of 53 years ended with the death of her husband, Don, a few years ago, the couple attended games together. Being directly involved with the team helps fill the void.
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