Anteaters fall, look ahead

ANAHEIM — As Molly Goodenbour drove away from the Anaheim Convention Center Wednesday, she might have seen the proverbial hump in her rear-view mirror.

The second-year UC Irvine women’s basketball coach had just seen her season end with an 89-76 loss to Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the Big West Tournament. But Goodenbour, like many others in and around the UCI program, was more anxious to look ahead than behind.

That’s because the recent past includes seven straight losing seasons in which the Anteaters (9-21) failed to record double-digit victories. The school’s 52-152 record during that stretch, including five straight first-round tournament exits, equates to a .255 winning percentage.

The future, however, is personified by sophomore first-team all-conference pick Mikah Maly-Karros, incumbent Big West Freshman of the Year Jazmyne White, returning point guard Jade Smith-Williams, and a pair of Division I transfers who figure to add immediate help.

All Maly-Karros did against the Titans (15-16) was tie the 26-year-old school single-game scoring record of 41. She sank 17 of 31 field-goal attempts and was seven for eight from the foul line. She was one rebound shy of her 14th double-double in 22 games this season.

Maly-Karros outscored the rest of her teammates by six, as only senior guard Keyonna Johnson (a career-high 17) cracked double figures.

But it may be the final time the 6-foot-1 forward is the offense for the ’Eaters.

“I don’t know if Mikah is going to have 31 [shots] in a game [again],” Goodenbour said. “My hope is that we are able to have five players score 15 points, as opposed to one player scoring 40 and another scoring 15. That would take a lot of pressure off of all of us and that’s my goal. But I wouldn’t be upset if Mikah had another 40-point game in her career.”

Posting 40 combined wins in her final two seasons may be a more pressing goal for Maly-Karros, who, as she has been all season, was plagued by inconsistent support.

Senior guard Rebecca Maessen managed just four points in 16 foul-plagued minutes, while Smith-Williams, who had three games with at least 30 points this season, had eight points to go with her team-high six assists. Smith-Williams was two of 10 from the field.

The bench contributed four points, netting two of 11 field-goal tries, though the five reserves who played produced 10 of the team’s 36 rebounds, 14 fewer than the Titans’ total.

UCI, which has had trouble competing for more than sporadic stretches this season, once again failed to surmount the aforementioned hump, after surrendering its final lead of 6-5 with 16:20 left in the first half.

After UCI later answered a 10-0 Fullerton run with a 5-0 spurt of its own to close to within 23-17 midway through the opening half, the ’Eaters never trailed by fewer than seven.

“We were fighting to get into position, a number of times, to be able to make a comeback,” Goodenbour said. “But baskets that would have ended a run for them or baskets that might give us some momentum, fell off the rim.”

Fullerton consistently attacked the rim and the boards, much to the delight of Coach Marcia Foster.

“Our game plan was to control the boards and we did that,” Foster said. “[UCI] is a tremendous rebounding team and [the ’Eaters] are very physical.

“We planned to do a better job on Mikah, but she’s an outstanding player. And, as the game went on, I figured, hopefully, one player wasn’t going to do us in.”

Goodenbour said the same realization came to her.

“I thought Mikah had a phenomenal game, a 41-point night, and Keyonna had a career-high with 17 points,” Goodenbour said. “But then if you look at our numbers, we don’t have a whole lot of other players helping us right now.”

Goodenbour thanked her four departing seniors, who include Ka’Jahna Johnson and Mary Has, but she is eager to look ahead.

“I’m pleased with where we are,” Goodenbour said. “Our seniors and our returners have done a great job of helping us build a foundation. This program is going to get better over the next few years.”

Lyndsey Grove had a career-high 26 points for the Titans, who were also boosted by Jasmine Scott’s 16 points and 11 rebounds, as well as 17 points from Megan Richardson.

Big West Conference Tournament

First round

Cal State Fullerton 89, UC Irvine 76

UC Irvine – Maly-Karros 41, White 2. Ke. Johnson 17, Smith-Williams 8, Maessen 4, Ka. Johnson 2, Cathey 2.

3-pt. goals – Ke. Johnson 3.

Fouled out – White, Smith-Williams.

Technicals – None.

CSUF – Olivier 8, Grove 26, Richardson 17, Scott 16, Crisp 4, Bushong 6, Peters 6, Richie 3, Breite 3.

3-pt. goals – Grove 2, Richardson 1, Richie 1, Peters 1.

Fouled out – Olivier.