‘Eaters hope to surprise

Barry Faulkner

Depending on one’s point of view, UC Irvine women’s basketball coach

Mark Adams could have either a long bench or a short leash when it

comes to assigning playing time this season.

“We have 13 kids practicing and I don’t think there’s anyone I

would hesitate to put in a game right now,” said Adams, whose

Anteaters come off an injury-riddled 6-20 season.

UCI lost 12 of its first 13 in 2003-04, then won five of its next

nine, before finishing on a four-game losing streak.

The Anteaters lost their best two players from last season --

second-team All-Big West Conference guard Kristen Green and post

Christina Calloway -- to graduation, creating a vast opportunity for

a mix of eight returners and seven newcomers.

That mix includes 6-foot-4 senior center Ashley Biggins and senior

guard Courtney Ferguson, who combined for 38 starts last season,

seven more than the other six returners combined.

Ferguson averaged 7.9 points, third best behind Green (13.6) and

Calloway (12.4). Green and Calloway led the Anteaters in scoring in

20 of 26 games, while Ferguson managed the feat four times.

Ferguson, who had 43 three-pointers a year ago, has overcome a

quadriceps strain and a concussion in the preseason and had nine

points in 29 minutes in Saturday’s 65-55 exhibition loss to Love and

Basketball.

Biggins, who averaged 5.6 rebounds (second to Calloway) and 3.9

points last season, is ready for a breakout season, according to her

coach. She averaged 7.7 points and 7.7 rebounds her final six games

last season.

“She has made a lot of progress skill wise, strength wise and

confidence wise,” said Adams, who named Biggins his team captain.

“She has come a long way since last year and I think she’s on a

mission.”

That mission, to get closer to the 17 wins UCI achieved in

2002-03, will begin with the Anteaters flying below the Big West

radar. They were picked to finish eighth by the coaches and ninth by

the media in preseason conference polls.

“Nobody is going to expect us to be good,” Biggins said. “That

just gives us even more incentive to come out even harder.”

The Anteaters have shown that ability in preseason workouts,

according to Adams, entering his eighth season at the UCI helm.

“It’s a completely different environment than last year,” Adams

said. “When everybody started getting hurt, it just affected us

mentally. This year, there’s a lot more enthusiasm and energy. Our

practices are a lot more fun, because we’re a running team now. Last

year, we felt like we had to control every possession.”

Adams said 6-3 junior Lauren Yadon would join Biggins in a

starting lineup that also figures to include Ferguson, sophomore

Angie Ned, and either walk-on Katie Davis or junior transfer Melissa

Jacob at point guard.

Kristee Davidson, a 5-10 freshman out of Fort Worth Christian High

in Texas, was projected to start. But she had knee surgery Thursday

and is out indefinitely.

Yadon, who made the Big West All-Freshman team two seasons ago,

averaged 6.1 points and 3.2 rebounds as a sophomore. Adams believes

she can be much more productive this year. She had a team-high 19

points in the exhibition.

Ned, who started six games and scored 64 points last season, has

made tremendous strides, her coach said.

“It’s unbelievable how much she has improved,” Adams said. “She’s

not even the same player. We’re just in awe of some of the stuff

she’s been doing in practice. She’s quick, fast, her ball-handling

has really improved and she’s shooting the ball really well.”

Ned missed the exhibition game with a slight knee problem, but is

expected to be OK.

Jacob, out of Midland (Texas) Community College, and Davis, whom

Adams said has exceeded expectations, should help stabilize a

position that was a large part of the team’s struggles last year.

Jacob is nursing a shoulder injury that could slow her emergence as

the starter, Adams said. She did not play in the exhibition.

Ferguson and sophomore Stephanie Duda, who in addition to

off-season knee surgery has battled mononucleosis, are expected to

provide scoring punch. Duda could return in January.

Katie Urban, a 6-1 sophomore, and Joanna Usher, a 6-5 junior, are

expected to provide depth in the frontcourt, after averaging three

and 2.7 points, respectively, last season.

The Anteaters will need to improve upon the 57 points-per-game

average that ranked last in the Big West a year ago. UCI, however,

ranked second in scoring defense, surrendering 62.8 per contest.

“We need to stay healthy, play good defense and have good

inside-outside scoring balance, which we didn’t have last year,”

Adams said. “I think on any given night, we can have a different

leading scorer, because that’s just the kind of team we are.”

The Anteaters open the regular season Tuesday at home against San

Jose State.