Anteaters seeking wake-up

UCI women’s hoops conference preUCI women are struggling entering conference play, but few Big West programs aren’t.The UC Irvine women’s basketball team, picked to finish fifth by the coaches and media in the Big West Conference preseason polls, was identified by some coaches as a preseason sleeper.

But Coach Molly Tuter’s Anteaters largely slumbered through their nonconference schedule, going 2-10 after an 0-7 start.

A home win over Southwestern Louisiana on Dec. 17 ended the early losing skid and the ‘Eaters halted a three-game slide with a 79-72 home win over UC Davis on Wednesday.

But UCI is being outscored by nearly 20 points per game.

As UCI prepares to open conference play -- today at home against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at 4 p.m. -- there is good news. Only two of the eight Big West programs have winning records and only three have more than four victories.

Cal Poly is 7-4, 2-0 in the conference. Long Beach State is 7-5, 0-0, and UC Santa Barbara, which has won the last eight conference titles, is 6-6, 2-0.

University of the Pacific (4-8, 1-0) opened conference play with a win over Cal State Northridge (3-9, 0-1).

Cal State Fullerton, which lost its Big West opener Monday to Cal Poly, is 2-10, 0-2. UC Riverside is 3-8, 0-2.

Still, UCI appears to be a shell of the team that won four of its final six games last season, including a first-round Big West Tournament triumph over Utah State.

The Anteaters lost only one senior -- center Ashley Biggins -- from the 2004-05 late-season lineup, but have struggled to find their stride this season.

Junior guard Angie Ned, a second-team All-Big West performer as a sophomore, is averaging 11.5 points per game, nearly five fewer than last season. A preseason hamstring pull plagued Ned early, Tuter said.

Freshman point guard Kirian Ishizaki (8.4 points per game) has added a spark, but consistency has been a problem up and down the Anteaters’ roster.

Senior Lauren Yadon, the second-leading scorer last season (11.1 ppg), has struggled this year. A starter early in the season, she has been relegated to the bench and is averaging just 4.7 points per contest.

Tuter said her players continue to give their best effort, but quickness and scoring punch have been consistent shortcomings that only recruiting can remedy.

With Utah State and Idaho no longer in the conference and UC Davis still two seasons away from full-fledged membership, all eight Big West schools are guaranteed berths in the conference tournament, March 8-11 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The Anteaters may need the two months leading up to the tournament to find a way to compete.