SAUL LOEB/Arizona Daily Wildcat Senior Julie Brase drives her way to the hoop last week against Washington. Brase and the No. 24 Wildcats face UCLA tonight on the road.

The Wildcats make their final road trip of the regular season when they take on the UCLA Bruins tonight in Pauley Pavilion at 6.

This is the third time in the last four weeks that Arizona (16-6, 9-4) has played on the road.

Though the road has not been kind for the Wildcats, head coach Joan Bonvicini said this is an important series before the home stretch to finish the season.

"We control our own destiny," Bonvicini said. "We need to win some more games (over the last part of the season)."

The Wildcats have struggled so far this year away from McKale center, going 3-4 in Pacific 10 Conference games, including three of their last four.

Some good news for the Wildcats is they are coming into this game in a second place tie with Washington and only 2.5 games out of first place.

Arizona earned its 16th win of the season last weekend with an 80-50 win over Washington State. That win total is already more wins than the Wildcats had last season (14) and the most since their 20 wins in 2001.

Also following the Wildcats' sweep of the Washington schools last weekend, UA returned to the Associated Press poll, coming in at No. 24.

UA spent one week out of the rankings after spending the previous nine weeks in the nation's top 25.

"We played very well (this past weekend)," said Bonvicini. "We need to carry that confidence on the road and play two tough games on the road at UCLA and USC."

Arizona looks to sweep the Bruins on the season after beating UCLA 80-61 on Jan. 18 in Tucson.

That was the Bruins' first loss in Pac-10 play, and since then they have fallen to 12-9, 7-5.

It was the play of the guards that led the Wildcats to the blowout of UCLA last time around.

Sophomore Dee-Dee Wheeler led the Wildcats with a game-high 27 points, including an outstanding 10 for 15 shooting performance, and junior guard Aimee Grzyb added 16 points off the bench.

The guards' play will be a big factor again tonight.

UCLA comes into the contest with one of the best guard tandems in the conference.

The duo of senior Michelle Greco and freshman Nikki Blue are the Bruins' main source of points. Together, they are averaging a little under half of the Bruins' scoring total. For a team that is averaging 75.8 points per game, Greco is scoring 20 points a contest and Blue is adding 16.6 a game.

The Bruins have been struggling of late, however. After starting the Pac-10 season with six straight victories, UCLA has lost five of their last six games, including a 72-68 loss to rival USC last Saturday.

UA will play USC on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the LA Sports Arena for their last regular-season road game.

"Every game we play from here on out we are going to need to win," said freshman center Shawntinice Polk. "But especially the ones on the road.