Women’s Basketball: ‘Eaters’ slump rolls on

Bracing against the discomfort of an 11-game losing streak, a 3-16 record and an 0-5 mark in the Big West Conference, the UC Irvine women’s basketball team is far from shrinking from its daily challenge.

But undersized and often overmatched in the talent department, there remains a strong likelihood that the Anteaters will continue to most often come up short.

Against a taller, thicker, deeper and more experienced Hawaii squad on Thursday, UCI may have actually been encouraged by battling to an 83-65 home setback.

UCI, which was drubbed by an average of 36.5 points in two games with the Rainbow Wahine last season, made runs of 9-3, 7-0 and 9-0, and pared a 23-point deficit to within 74-62 with 2:58 left. But, as UCI Coach Doug Oliver pointed out afterward, for nearly every surge, the Anteaters have debilitating lapses.

“We make our runs, but we have lulls and [opponents] get separation,” Oliver said. “And when you are down seven, eight, 10, 12 points, and [the opposition] makes a run, we can’t close the gap.”

Though the lulls remain in games, Oliver said he has no qualms about his players’ effort, or resolve.

“The last three games, we’ve been competitive in the Big West and that’s important,” said Oliver, whose team lost by 13 at UC Davis on Jan. 14 and lost by six to visiting Long Beach State on Saturday. “But we have nothing to show for it.

“I haven’t seen anyone dropping their head because of the losses and that’s really hard to do. When you are a competitor, and you lose 11 in a row, and you get up and keep coming in to listen to my [coaching] and have to go out and compete …”

UCI junior forward Shereen Sutherland is among those raging against the dying of the light. She led the hosts with 15 points and shared the team lead with five rebounds.

“We talk about making baby steps instead of strides, which sucks,” Sutherland said. “But we see how we’re improving and we’re trying to capitalize on it.”

Hawaii (10-8, 3-2) capitalized on a 52-27 rebounding advantage to produce an 18-3 windfall in second-chance points.

The visitors had 19 offensive rebounds to help overcome an 18-14 turnover deficit, as six different ‘Eaters contributed to their nine steals.

UCI shot 41.8% from the field, an improvement on its season accuracy (35%). But with so many put-backs, layins and short jumpers, Hawaii, which had 11 players score and created a 49-29 edge in bench scoring, netted 46.2% of its field-goal tries.

“I told the kids I was proud of their effort,” Oliver said. “[The ‘Eaters] didn’t back down. They kept pushing the ball at them and banging into them the best we could. Defensively we battled. We gave up second-chance points, but [the visitors] are bigger and stronger.”

Hawaii used an 18-0 run in the first quarter to help turn a 9-5 deficit into an eventual 27-11 cushion.

And the Rainbow Wahine produced a 17-2 spurt in the third quarter that left them up, 64-41. Hawaii had a six-point possession during the run that began with two free throws initiated by an intentional foul on a breakaway. With the ensuing possession, Hawaii converted a layup while being fouled and eventually got another bucket after rebounding the missed foul shot.

UCI reserves Tayla Jackson and Irene Chavez each had all nine of their points in the first half, when they combined to make eight of 10 field-goal attempts. But they were a collective zero for three from the field after intermission.

Jackson finished with five rebounds, while senior guard Raelyn Cheung-Sutton had six points, six assists and two steals, as well as a team-worst four turnovers.

Megan Huff had 15 points and nine rebounds in 21 reserve minutes to pace the winners, who also managed a 24-8 advantage in points off turnovers.

UCI, which had a 10-game losing streak during an 8-24 campaign last season, will have an opportunity to halt its current skid when it visits Cal State Fullerton (2-16, 0-4) on Saturday at 6:15 p.m.

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Big West Conference

Hawaii 83, UC Irvine 65

SCORE BY QUARTERS

UH – 29 16 21 17 – 83

UCI – 15 18 14 18 – 65

UH – Karaitiana 11, Adolfo 7, Morris 4, King 8, Crawford 4, Huff 15, Wimbley 11, Harris 8, Kennedy 8, Toeaina 5, Sampton 2.

3-pt. goals – Karaitiana 3, Wimbley 3.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – King 1.

UCI – Sutherland 15, Fajemisin 6, Piper 4, Cheung-Sutton 6. Ritter 5, Jackson 9, Chavez 9, Hicks 6, Knox 3, Kellum 2.

3-pt. goals – Sutherland 1, Ritter 1, Jackson 1, Chavez 1, Knox 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.