UCI tops Aggies

Barry Faulkner

Through all the injuries and defections, all the losing streaks and

all the disappointment the last two seasons, those inside the UC

Irvine women’s basketball program’s shrinking circle believed their

time would come.

After the Anteaters rallied for a 75-63 win over Utah State in the

first round of the Big West Conference tournament Wednesday at the

Anaheim Convention Center, UCI interim coach Molly Tuter said that

time is the present.

“I just feel like we’re due,” said Tuter, after her No. 7-seeded

team (8-20), saw leads early in both halves vanish, and surrendered a

13-0 Aggie run that put the No. 6 seed up, 52-46, with 8:20

remaining.

But the Anteaters, who have lost 40 of 54 games since their last

visit to the conference tournament in 2003, lost close to a dozen

players to myriad injuries and even lost Coach Mark Adams, who

resigned after an 0-7 start this season, never lost their

determination.

After the two teams traded free throws, UCI went on a 16-2 run

that spanned just more than five minutes and propelled it into a

quarterfinal clash against No. 3-seeded Idaho (17-10), today at noon

at the same site.

UCI split with the Vandals this season, including a 71-60 triumph

Feb. 24 at the Bren Events Center.

“I guess I’m fortunate enough to have a team that will never say

die,” Tuter said, emotion choking her voice. “We’ve had millions of

excuses to just go home. But, somehow, someone always steps up.”

There were several who fit that bill against the Aggies (14-14),

who finished their season with four straight losses.

Senior center Ashley Biggins scored 13 of her 15 points after

halftime and finished with 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of

the season.

Ned, who led the Anteaters to a 24-24 halftime tie, had 13 after

intermission to lead all scorers with 23. She sat out a little more

than three minutes after picking up her fourth foul with 10:35 left,

at which time, UCI, which has now won four of its last five, led,

46-41.

Melissa Jacob had 11 second-half points, while Lauren Yadon

chipped in nine points after intermission.

UCI hit 24 of 29 second-half free throws and Jacob finished 8 of 8

from the line. Ned was 7 of 8 from the stripe, Mai 5 for 5 and

Biggins 5 of 7. UCI’s 32 made free throws broke a 19-year-old

tournament record.

Utah State missed 12 of its first 14 field-goal tries and went the

first 6:15 without a field goal. But the Aggies hit their first six

second-half three-point attempts to make up for lost time, including

three straight by sophomore Brittany Tressler, to key the

aforementioned 13-0 run that began 11 seconds after Ned left with her

fourth foul.

Utah State had 23 turnovers, a problem Coach Reagan Pebley

attributed to their late collapse.

Pebley stressed perimeter defense coming in against a UCI team

that had been averaging 5.3 threes per game. UCI, which has had at

least one three ball in all 28 games this season, was just 1 of 7

from beyond the arc.

“I’m not surprised we [were able to win with just one

three-pointer],” Tuter said. “I knew by looking at her at halftime

that Ashley was going to come out and have a big half. “

Big West Conference tournament

First round

UC Irvine 75, Utah State 63

UC Irvine - Yadon 13, Ned 23 , Biggins 15, Jacob 15, Mai 7, Martin

2.

3-pt. goals - Jacob 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.

Utah State - Freeman 6, Brox 4, Aird 9, Richards 11, Quinones 9,

Tressler 13, Zdenek 8, Hagen 3.

3-pt. goals - Tressler 3, Quinones 3, Richards 1, Hagen 1, Zdenek

1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.

Halftime - 24-24.