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.”
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