Gabbe guides ‘Eaters, 65-60

Steve Virgen

For the past five seasons, UC Irvine did not know anything about a

win in the Big West Conference Tournament. It had been one and done.

That is until Wendy Gabbe’s senior season came along.

Gabbe, UCI’s lone senior who overcame pain in her right (shooting)

shoulder, scored a team-high 18 points and led the Anteaters’ women’s

basketball team to a 65-60 quarterfinal victory over Idaho in the Big

West Tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center Wednesday night.

Freshman Lauren Yadon, UCI’s 6-foot-3 center, contributed 13

points and six rebounds, while sophomore point guard Lisa Faulkner

added 10 points and five assists. Sophomore Ashley Biggins grabbed a

career-high 12 rebounds to help hold off a gritty Idaho team that

suited eight players because of injuries.

“This is a whole lot more fun than last year,” UCI Coach Mark

Adams said.

“It was like a funeral last year. This year has been a completely

different season.”

Last year, the Anteaters lost to UC Riverside in the Big West

tourney to cap an 8-20 season, the worst in Adams’ five seasons. But

the ‘Eaters won their 17th game Wednesday.

UCI advances to the Big West semifinal Friday at noon and will

face the Big West’s No. 1 seed UC Santa Barbara, the heavy favorite

of the tourney, which defeated Cal State Fullerton, 93-58.

“We’re confident we can beat any team,” Gabbe said. “Santa Barbara

is hopefully our next victim.”

Gabbe received a cortizone shot Saturday after injuring her right

shoulder early in UCI’s loss to Long Beach State in the

regular-season finale. But she said she did not want to miss this

game.

“There was a time earlier in the week when we didn’t think she

would play,” Adams said of Gabbe, who hit 3 of 7 from beyond the

three-point line. “Wendy was just saying, ‘I’m playing.’ ”

Gabbe scored 13 in the first half, guiding UCI to a 36-23 lead.

The ‘Eaters closed out the first half with a 13-2 run and then scored

the first four points of the second half to grab their biggest lead

of the game, 40-23. But midway through the second half, Idaho (10-18)

started a 10-3 run to pull within, 52-43.

Christina Callaway, a junior forward who leads the Anteaters in

scoring and rebounding, struggled with foul trouble, scored four

points and eventually fouled out late in the game. That’s why

Biggins’ play off the bench was key, Adams said.

UCI held its advantage in the second half and led, 60-50, with

3:45 left after Yadon made good on an 8-foot left-hand hook shot

along the baseline. However, the Vandals, who were led by Keisha

Moore’s 25 points, scored six straight points to cut the deficit to

60-56 with 1:25 left.

UCI hit 5-of-7 free throws in the final 46 seconds to hold off the

Vandals.

“This team comes together when we need to,” said Gabbe, who was on

the UCI squad that upset the Gauchos at UCSB in 2001.

“Last year we didn’t have any team unity. This feels great. This

is the farthest I have ever gotten.”