‘Eaters force OT, but Toreros prevail

IRVINE — After its first eight possessions produced seven turnovers and one missed field-goal attempt, the hope of a fresh start might have seemed a reasonable request for the UC Irvine women’s basketball team Sunday.

But, it seems this season, even when the basketball gods appear amenable to negotiation, the ultimate result for Coach Molly Tuter’s Anteaters (4-11) is a swift kick between the jersey numbers.

UCI, in fact, got its restart, erasing a 17-point second-half deficit to force overtime against nonconference visitor San Diego at the Bren Events Center.

But, alas, the Toreros nailed a three-pointer 17 seconds into the extra session and protected their lead the rest of the way to claim an 89-83 triumph that left the Anteaters, losers of seven straight, both proud and perplexed.

“We’ve lost so many close games this year, we start out a little bit on our heels, sometimes,” said Tuter, whose team’s five closest losses, four at home, have come by an average of 5.2 points. “We’ve just got to attack from the get-go.”

After accruing deficits of 8-0, 11-2, 17-5 and 22-9, the Anteaters appeared to find their attack mode against the talented Toreros (9-5).

Sparked by senior reserve Christina Zdenek and sophomore starter Rebecca Maessen, who produced a career-high 16 and 18 points, respectively, the hosts began chipping away. A 6-0 run that included a three-point play by senior Annie Mai, whittled the deficit to 37-31 with 4:10 left in the first half, though USD widened the margin to 45-35 at intermission.

Using a combination of greater defensive intensity and increased aggressiveness on the offensive end, UCI continued to chisel away at the visitors’ lead after the Toreros held a 58-41 advantage with 15:01 left in regulation.

Maessen, who finished five of 11 from the field and had a team-high four assists, scored four points during an 8-0 UCI surge that cut the lead to nine.

After a USD basket, the ’Eaters reeled off an 11-2 burst that included seven straight points by Zdenek, who wound up seven for 10 from the field in her best offensive game since she transferred from Utah State.

A putback by sophomore guard Kirian Ishizaki with 7:10 left in regulation, knotted the score at 68-68. The two teams exchanged scores until Zdenek produced UCI’s first lead with a 10-foot runner that banked home with 4:54 left.

Kelly Cochran put the hosts up, 76-72, with a basket with 3:07 left in regulation, but two missed free throws by Maessen, who had connected on all six of her foul shots over the first 38-plus minutes, opened the door for USD’s 6-foot-5 junior center, Amber Sprague, to knot the score again with a 12-footer with 42 seconds left in regulation.

Sprague, a first-team All-West Coast Conference performer last season, finished with 28 points, converting 12 of 26 field-goal tries.

A three-pointer with 1:19 left in overtime by sophomore point guard Mary Has, who made her first start as an Anteater, forged an 83-83 deadlock. She had six points, three assists and a team-best three steals in 24 minutes.

But USD scored the game’s final six points to secure its fifth win in its last six games.

“That’s one of the best teams we’ve played this year,” Tuter said of San Diego. “We played hard and we battled back. To take them into overtime, this could be a heck of a positive. There will be a reward for all our hard work. I thought tonight was going to be it. I’m proud of how hard we played.”

Senior Stephanie Duda had 13 points and nine rebounds, while Cochran finished with 10 points and 12 boards, helping UCI win the rebounding battle, 43-39.

UCI shot 49.2% from the field (32 of 65), but had 26 turnovers, eight more than USD, including six by Mai and Maessen and another five by Has.

Four USD starters scored in double figures and a fifth, Amanda Rego, had 11 assists.

Nonconference

San Diego 89, UC Irvine 83 (OT)

USD – Herman 18, Henderson 15, Sprague 28, Child 15, Rego 5, Estell 6, Mangrum 2.

3-pt. goals – Henderson 3.

Fouled out - Mangrum.

UCI – Duda 13, Cochran 10, Maessen 18, Has 6, Forry 0, Zdenek 16, Ishizaki 6, Mai 6, Barnes 4, Tull 4.

3-pt. goals – Zdenek 1, Mai 1, Has 1.

Fouled out – Zdenek.

Halftime – USD, 45-35

Regulation – 78-78.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.