Anteaters run into a Gauchos’ roadblock

Steve Virgen

After UC Santa Barbara displayed its dominance, and after the Gauchos

showed why they’re the 17th-ranked women’s basketball team in the

nation, UC Irvine looked to next year. That’s really all there was

left to do.

UCSB, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, won its 20th straight Big

West Conference tournament game, an 83-50 victory over the Anteaters

Saturday at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“I’m very proud of this basketball team,” UCI Coach Mark Adams

said in reference to his team’s turnaround season. “We more than

doubled our victories from last year ... but (the Anteaters) set

themselves a new standard for next year. Seventeen wins, that’s nice,

but hopefully in the future that’s just considered moderate success

for this team. They know we have a bright future. But they know we’re

going to have to work hard during the offseason.”

Adams said UCI must work hard, particularly to gain strength and

become more physical, aspects the ‘Eaters lacked against the Gauchos

Friday.

The Anteaters (17-12) also sagged off UCSB’s guards, instead

focusing on Big West Player of the Year Lindsay Taylor, the Gauchos’

6-foot-8 junior center. But Santa Barbara hit its shots. The Gauchos

(25-4) shot 53% and, at times, benefited from the feeling that

everything was going their way.

With 4:49 left in the first half, UCSB senior guard Jess Hansen

nailed a deep three-pointer to beat the buzzer, giving the Gauchos a

40-22 lead.

Hansen shot 4 of 4 from three-point range in the first half,

guiding her team to a 46-29 halftime lead that proved insurmountable

for UCI. UCSB outscored the Anteaters, 19-4, in the first 9:05 of the

second half and grabbed a 65-34 lead.

“We got beat by a very good basketball team, a very physical

basketball team,” Adams said. “They took away our inside game.”

UCSB opened the game with a 12-2 lead in the first 3:45. UCI

senior Wendy Gabbe kept her team in it by scoring the Anteaters’

first 12 points, including two straight three-pointers to draw the

‘Eaters to within 15-12 with 12:14 left in the first half. But UCSB

maintained control with an 8-0 run.

UCI cut the lead to 23-16 after Gabbe hit an 18-foot shot along

the baseline. However, UCSB answered with four straight

three-pointers, two by Hansen.

Gabbe, the ‘Eaters’ only senior, scored 17 points and finished her

UCI career with 1,000 points, becoming the 11th player in school

history to do so.

“I’m proud of the way Wendy Gabbe finished her career,” Adams

said. “I’m really sorry to see her go.”

Gabbe scored a team-high 18 points and led UCI to a 65-60

quarterfinal victory over Idaho Wednesday. It was the Anteaters’

first Big West Tournament victory since 1997. Gabbe’s effort came

just three days after receiving a cortizone shot for pain in her

right (shooting) shoulder.

For Gabbe, that type of strength came with the territory.

“Coming into this season, I knew my role as a senior was to lead

the young players,” Gabbe said. “I’ve been instilling a hard work

ethic. I think I made a difference this year to come into this season

prepared and it really helped throughout.”

Courtney Ferguson, UCI’s sophomore guard who came off the bench

and scored 13 points, looked to the future with excitement.