First Game Reveals Several Trouble Spots

Early reviews on UC Irvine’s basketball season:

The short version: Defense may win championships, but you have to score a few points, too.

Now for the unabridged edition.

On defense, the Anteaters were tenacious, causing San Francisco trouble.

The Dons were missing two starters, making them ripe for an upset. Still, they pulled away for a 75-59 victory Saturday--the Anteaters’ 13th consecutive loss.

Whatever improvement Irvine had in attitude and defensive intensity was offset by offensive inability.

There was some improvement, mostly in the play of point guard Lamarr Parker, who looked comfortable--unlike most of last season--running the offense. But there were glaring problems.

Much of this was known or suspected heading into the season.

“We are not seasoned enough to run the offense yet,” first-year Coach Pat Douglass said afterward. “We played hard on defense, but we’re not seasoned enough on offense at this point.”

The Anteaters, who averaged 21 turnovers a game last season, still hand the ball over like candy at Halloween.

Irvine turned the ball over 27 times, partly, Douglass said, because of the inexperience in the back court. Brian Scoggin, Malachi Edmond and Junior Bond were playing in their first Division I game. Scoggin had five turnovers and Bond four.

On the upside, Parker played what was probably his best game since coming to Irvine three years ago. He labored last season, with the weight of the offense on his shoulders. This year, less is asked of him, yet he gave more. Parker had 19 points and three assists. A 23% three-point shooter last season, he made three of four three-pointers.

Still, 27 turnovers is 17 above Douglass’ goal.

“We had three guards who are new,” Douglass said. “I think as conference gets closer, we will be able to run the offense better.”

That would mean more production from the 6-foot-10 Andrew Carlson, who spent the summer shedding baby fat. He also went to Hawaii for the Pete Newell Big Man’s Camp. The Anteaters still hope he brought back more than souvenir T-shirts.

Irvine is small and, with Matt Willard suffering from the flu against San Francisco, Carlson was the only healthy player taller than 6-7. He may look better in uniform, but he must remember this: a miss is just a miss.

Carlson was zero for two from the field and finished with two points. He had difficulty handling the ball in the post, making three turnovers, one he dribbled off his foot.

“He has to catch the ball and make shots,” Douglass said.

The Anteaters were left with a hole in the middle, which enabled the Dons to focus on Ben Jones and Adam Stetson, UCI’s best shooters.

Jones, a freshman, was impressive from beyond the three-point arc in the two exhibition games. Those opportunities were not going to be handed to him. Irvine shot 52 three-pointers in its first exhibition game, which was obviously noticed by San Francisco coaches.

Jones and Stetson, both playing their first Division I game, got few good looks at the basket.

“They were charging at me all night,” Jones said. “I was a little nervous because it was my first game. But I didn’t get the shots I need to get.”

He wasn’t alone.

*

Jamie Trevor, Irvine’s Athletic Foundation president the last two years, died of cancer Nov. 8 at age 42. A memorial service was held Friday in the Bren Center and a moment of silence preceded Anteater events through the weekend.

Trevor’s persistence as president is best described by her actions. She was a UCI alum, or thought so until last year, when she asked why she never received a diploma. It turned out she was short a calculus class. Trevor spent last summer taking the course to get her degree.

Sid Golub, the university’s executive vice chancellor, presented it to her on Nov. 7. She died the next morning at 3 a.m.

*

The Anteater women’s swim team is 5-1 in dual meets, its best start since . . .

“I can’t remember,” said Coach Charlie Schober, who has been the women’s coach for 14 years. “I know we did pretty good the first year. I also know there have been several years where we didn’t win five meets all season.”

Such was the case in 1996-1997, when the Anteaters finished 2-15 and were last in the Big West Conference meet. That was then, this is now.

The Anteaters have almost the same team back, with two important differences. Diver Arika Earley had to sit out the first part of last season as a transfer and senior Gwen Yoshizuma was a redshirt because of a shoulder injury.

Earley has not lost in three one- and three-meter events this season. Yoshizuma, the school record holder in the 100 and 200-meter backstrokes, not only has done well in those events but has improved two relay teams.

“You always like having a school record holder back,” Schober said.

*

Now that the men’s soccer season has ended, Coach George Kuntz can get on with his other job--helping mold a World Cup championship team.

Kuntz is director of coaching for the California Youth Soccer Assn. It’s part of a bigger picture, one that United States soccer officials hope will mean the USA winning the World Cup in 2010. Kuntz runs clinics throughout the year to license youth coaches. The plan is to standardize the training players receive, from AYSO up.

“The young players of today will be the core of the 2010 team,” Kuntz said.

Kuntz, 37, is hardly new at this. He has been involved in clinics for 18 years, beginning as a high school student at the insistence of his father.

“He wanted me to learn every aspect of the game,” said Kuntz, who played at Westmont College. “He had me go to coaching clinics and referee clinics as a kid.”

Anteater Notes

Leticia Oseguera, who had 18 points and 16 rebounds Sunday when the women’s basketball team lost to Kilsyth (an Australian club team), 72-67, in overtime, suffered a fractured bone in her right hand and will be out four to six weeks . . . The sailing team finished third, behind Stanford and USC, in the North-South Regatta in Santa Barbara over the weekend.

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Coming Attractions

Here is a look at key games at UC Irvine this week:

* Men’s basketball plays Pepperdine at 7 tonight in the Bren Center. The Anteaters host Chico State at 7 p.m. Friday.

* Water polo plays Long Beach State at 7 tonight at Belmont Plaza Pool. The Anteaters close the regular season against UC Santa Barbara at noon Saturday at Heritage Park.

* Women’s basketball opens its season against San Diego at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Bren Center.