UCI women’s basketball on the rise

Looks like UC Irvine men’s basketball isn’t the only big show for

the Anteaters this season.

The UCI women’s basketball team won its third straight game

Wednesday night, and for the third consecutive time the Anteaters

came from behind to win. Despite some early-season struggles in two

exhibition games, UCI (4-1) has found some momentum with its wins in

the clutch. Also, in the ‘Eaters’ first five games, they have had

five different leading scorers.

“We have great chemistry,” UCI Coach Mark Adams said of his squad.

“We average 17 or 18 assists per game. Defensively, we’re shutting

people down and playing great team defense. (Wednesday) night our

kids were going into the overtime physically and emotionally

exhausted, but they pulled it out. This team, more than any other of

my teams, has the biggest hearts around. They just refuse to lose.”

Sophomore Lisa Faulkner, UCI’s lone senior Wendy Gabbe, junior

Christina Callaway and freshman Kristin Thawley recorded their

career-highs in scoring, as the Anteaters won three of their first

four. And, on Wednesday night, freshman forward Lauren Yadon, who

came off the bench, scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds off

the bench to lead UC Irvine past San Diego State, 61-58, in overtime

at San Diego.

Callaway and Thawley suffered injuries in Wednesday’s game. Adams

said Thawley injured her knee and he will learn more of the severity

today, while Callaway’s injury was a deep thigh bruise and she should

be able to rest it, as the Anteaters return to action Dec. 17 at

Birmingham Southern.

Adams said there is more to UCI than its men’s basketball team,

which has won its past two games and is coming off back-to-back

20-win season and Big West Conference regular-season titles.

“We’re fun to watch,” Adams said. “Our offense is fun to watch.

And, as far as basketball minds go, we’re a pretty good defensive

team to watch, too. We’re just all over the place and we’re playing

together.”

* Vanguard Coach Russ Davis has his women’s basketball team

making some noise in the Golden State Athletic Conference. The Lions,

who outscored UCI in an exhibition game Nov. 5, is 5-4 overall, yet

2-0 in the GSAC, which includes a 69-58 upset over visiting Biola,

ranked No. 12 in the NAIA, Tuesday night.

Vanguard, which was ranked ninth in the GSAC Coaches’ Preseason

poll, trailed only twice in its impressive win over Biola. The Eagles

didn’t gain their first lead of the game until the second half,

40-37, with about 14 minutes left. But sophomore guard Lacey Mills,

who scored a team-high 15 points, drained two three-pointers, the

latter providing a 45-44 lead that produced momentum for the Lions.

Vanguard built an 11-point lead from that point, 58-47, with less

than six minutes to play and then hit eight of 10 free throws in the

final two minutes to seal the win.

Courtney McKinney, the Lions’ 6-foot-1 senior center, scored a

career-high 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Vanguard to an

89-71 win over Cal Baptist for the Lions’ first GSAC win. Senior

guard Robbin Dittenbir added 15 points and 13 rebounds to help

provide the victory.

The Lions will take on Concordia University (0-2 in the GSAC)

Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Pit.