UCI women look forward after loss

ANAHEIM — Molly Goodenbour said it was about six losses ago that she ran out of things to inspire and motivate her UC Irvine women’s basketball team.

But, after the Anteaters ended their season with a 61-43 setback to Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the Big West Conference Tournament Wednesday at the Anaheim Convention Center, Goodenbour said a difficult first season at the helm was anything but disappointing.

“I’m not displeased with this year,” Goodenbour said of the 7-23 campaign in which UCI finished tied for seventh in the Big West and earned the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament. “This year was all about building a foundation and getting better. We did that, we are doing that and we will continue to do that.”

Junior Rebecca Maessen also said the program, which has now exited the tournament in the first round four straight seasons, is headed in a brighter direction.

“It has been a tough year, but at the same time it has been a good year,” said Maessen, the team’s leading scorer all season who finished with nine points against the No. 6-seeded Titans (10-19). “There has been a lot of change with a new coach and a whole new staff, but for me, it was a good thing. In the locker room, our accomplishments aren’t really to be seen in our wins, but you can see it in the progress we made as a team, and as individuals.”

The Anteaters lost junior guard Mary Has, the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, to a season-ending knee injury just three games into conference play. UCI also dealt with chronic injury problems that limited junior Kelly Cochran to reserve duty.

Cochran, who had a team-high 12 points and six rebounds in her swan song and was named the conference’s Best Sixth Woman Tuesday, said Wednesday that those chronic knee problems will force her to forego her final year of eligibility.

“I’d love to come back, but physically, I’m unable to perform in a way that would benefit the team,” Cochran said. “It kills me a little bit, because this program is going in such a great direction. Molly has really brought some positive changes and I wish to God that I could play for her for another year. But I’ve kind of got to take care of long-term things.”

Goodenbour said Cochran, as well as departing senior Kirian Ishizaki (four points, two assists and two steals Wednesday) will be missed.

“[Cochran] is one of the best players in the league playing at 60%,” Goodenbour said. “She practices maybe every other day, at best. I’ve never seen her healthy, so I don’t know her true capacity. But I’ve seen here at 60% and how effective she can be. In the long-term sense, it doesn’t make sense for her to keep beating her body to death, although, selfishly, we’d love to be able to get [another season] out of her.”

Goodenbour said she would have also liked to have received more from her team against Fullerton, which fell to the ’Eaters, 67-59, Saturday in the regular-season finale.

“We just didn’t match [the Titans’] intensity in the first half of play,” Goodenbour said.

UCI had 18 of its 22 turnovers, before intermission, at which point it trailed, 39-15, and had made only five of 19 field-goal attempts (26.3%).

“[The Titans] were much more assertive and aggressive and they really got a jump on us,” Goodenbour said. “And with the offensive troubles we’ve had during the year, when we dig ourselves a hole initially, it’s very difficult to find our way out of that.”

Goodenbour said her team played much better in the second half, but not before Fullerton built the lead to 51-21 with 13:09 left.

Goodenbour said more wins can be expected next season.

“Even though Kirian and Kelly will leave this program, they’ve helped us to build a foundation. And our returners understand that there is a change in this program and that we’re going in a positive direction.

“We just don’t have the personnel right now to translate into wins on the court, but we will soon.”

Big West Conference Tournament

First round

Cal State Fullerton 61, UC Irvine 43

UCI – Ishizaki 4, Barnes 4, Maessen 9, Ke. Johnson 8, Ka. Johnson 0, Cochran 12, Belen 6.

3-pt goals – Ke. Johnson 2, Maessen 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

CSF – Thomas 17, Chow 15, Richardson 12, Weathersby 8, Grove 7, Scott 2.

3-pt goals – Richardson 2, Grove 1, Chow 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

Halftime – CSF 39-15.