Adams’ squad ready for Big West

One word can describe the difference of this year’s UC Irvine

women’s basketball team compared to last season’s squad.

Confidence.

This year, Coach Mark Adams’ Anteaters believe. Last year’s

‘Eaters had little, if any, confidence. They won their first game,

but then lost eight straight, including three losses in overtime.

Those close losses can do a lot of damage to a team, and it did. UCI

suffered a 71-69 loss at Portland State last year. But this year,

it’s been a different story.

The Anteaters defeated Portland State, 86-64, Monday and improved

to 7-3 on the season. Last year, it took the entire season to win

eight games.

UCI is now 7-4, after a 70-66 loss to the University of San

Francisco Friday.

“This group is more confident in their abilities than last year,”

Adams said after the victory. “We had 20 assists. They’re unselfish

and that says a lot of what we’ve been able to accomplish.”

One of the key players in UCI’s turnaround season has been the

Anteaters’ lone senior, Wendy Gabbe, who scored a career-high 26

points against Portland State. She hit 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.

“It’s team chemistry, that’s what has gotten us here,” Gabbe said.

“We’re just trying to be more consistent, and we’re playing hard.

(The wins) have given us more confidence. We realized if we play

together we can achieve big things.”

Junior forward Christina Callaway leads the team in scoring, while

junior Kristen Green and sophomore point guard Lisa Faulkner have

provided key contributions. Callaway, Green and Faulkner, who were

also on last year’s 8-20 squad, have intensified their efforts and

improved their game over the past year.

Now comes the hard part. The Anteaters, the same Anteaters who

were picked to finish sixth in the Big West Conference, must show

their confidence and all-out effort in league play.

“I haven’t paid attention to it,” Adams said of the Big West race,

thus far. “I don’t want to get too far ahead. But we do have a good

thing going right now.”

* Heading into their game against Portland State, the Anteaters

had outscored opponents, 317-254, in the second half.

* UCI has a great chance to finish in the top three in the Big

West. UC Santa Barbara owns the conference and should repeat as

champions. Big West action begins this weekend. UCI, which will host

Long Beach State Sunday, ranks first in the Big West in scoring

defense (60.6) and second in scoring offense (65.2). UCI also leads

the league in scoring margin (+4.7), assists (16.56) and turnover

margin (.3.89).

* UC Irvine’s men’s basketball team, meanwhile, certainly got off

to the right start on Saturday with its 69-52 victory at Long Beach

State.

The Anteater fans, especially the Completely Insane Anteaters,

cheered, “Gloger! Glo-ger!” for Jeff Gloger who scored a team-high 17

points and recorded five steals.