Women’s basketball: Anteaters open the season with victory over

Slovakian team

Amara Aguilar

BREN EVENTS CENTER - The UC Irvine women’s basketball team played a

game Sunday much different than any they will play all year.

The Anteaters’ opponents, Delta Kosice from Slovakia, spoke a

different language. They had a different style of play.

Although the Anteaters earned an 87-55 victory in an exhibition game

that featured a foreign team, the two teams did have a few things in

common besides basketball.

UC Irvine’s Jana Ciperova, who lived in the Czech Republic until she

was 19, previously played with Delta Kocise’s Nikova Topolarova on the

Czech junior national team. The two have known each other for six years.

“It was really nice playing against someone I knew,” Ciperova said.

“Basketball is not the most popular sport in the Czech Republic, soccer

is the most popular one. But in Western Europe it is real popular and

that is where I want to play one day.”

Ciperova scored 14 points in UCI’s exhibition game and Cindy Oparah

led all scorers with 19 points.

The Anteaters seemed to get off to a slow start in the first half.

They took a 7-2 lead to open the game, but Delta Kosice battled back and

tied the score at 13 on a three-pointer by Hana Jendrichovska with 12:05

left in the half.

UCI answered with a three-pointer by Lisa Faulkner. Then, Kristen

Green made two straight free-throws, Katie Sturgeon made one and Ciperova

had a two-pointer to give UCI a 21-13 lead and some breathing room.

The Anteaters continued to hold a sizeable lead and were up 35-26 with

under two minutes left in the first half. But Delta Kosice applied some

pressure. Vronika Garcarova made two free-throws and Topolarova made one

along with a two-pointer to cut UCI’s lead to 36-31 at halftime.

The Anteaters came alive in the second half. They made 72 percent of

their free-throws (18 of 25) and received a strong performance from

Oparah.

The 5-11 senior scored 16 points in the second half after being held

to three in the first.

“As a team, we picked it up in the second half,” Oparah said. “I fed

off the energy of the team ... I was more calm. I wasn’t really nervous

before the game, but excited.”

The Anteaters went on a 14-4 run to start the second. The team built a

10-point lead with under 13 minutes left in the game and then made five

free-throws to increase the lead to 59-42 with under 11 minutes left.

UCI had possession of the ball for much of the rest of the game,

allowing Delta Kosice one three-pointer, three two-pointers and four

free-throws the rest of the way.

“I thought our offense was pretty effective,” UCI head coach Mark

Adams said. “(Oparah) gave us a big lift in the second half. It’s unlike

her not to finish shots.”

Brandy Hudson had 15 points for UC Irvine and Wendy Gabbe pitched in

with 13.

Delta Kosice was led by Jendrichovska (nine points), Viera Libicova

(nine points, 11 rebounds) and Topolarova (nine points, four rebounds).

The Anteaters open the regular season at the University of San

Francisco Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.

Exhibition

UC Irvine 87, Delta Kosice (Slovakia) 55

Delta Kosice - Jendrichovska 9, Garcarova 6, Cisovska 2, Tebinicova 8,

Libicova 9, Bacarova 7, Topolarova 9, Hradilova 5.

3-pt. goals - Jendrichovska 1, Bacarova 1, Hradilova 1.

Fouled out - Kazimirova, Hradilova.

Technicals - None.

UC Irvine - Woznick 2, Oparah 19, Hudson 15, Gabbe 13, Faulkner 6,

Sturgeon 2, Ciperova 14, Green 5, Martin 5, Callaway 6.

3-pt. goals - Gabbe 1, Faulkner 1, Ciperova 1, Green 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.

Halftime - UC Irvine, 36-31