Idaho Finishes Off UC Irvine’s Season

It could have been the bad breaks, or even the bad luck. UC Irvine women’s basketball team had its share of both.

Yet there was no denying the hard facts.

The Anteaters’ 70-65 loss to Idaho Wednesday came 15 feet from the basket. As the Vandals were making 22 of 27 free throws, the Anteaters were 13 of 26 from the foul line. The inability to make free throws was the difference in Irvine’s first-round exit in the Big West women’s basketball tournament at the Lawlor Events Center.

Idaho (15-14) made six of eight free throws in the final minute, four by guard Susan Woolf. Kelli Johnson’s two misses came with 47 seconds left, but the ball flew past three Irvine players to Woolf, who was fouled.

Woolf made all eight of her free throws in the game. The Anteaters (16-11), who made 61% of their free throws this season, missed 10 of 18 in the second half.

“It came down to the same thing that has hurt us all year long,” Coach Mark Adams said. “We’ve had them shoot free throws all season. We talked about free throws all season. If you can’t make 70% from the free-throw line, you’re not going to win in a tournament like this and that is what happened here.”

A potential Irvine comeback turned into a difficult loss for a team that made the tournament championship game a year ago. But there was a lot out of whack for the Anteaters.

Forward Leticia Oseguera, the Anteaters’ leading scorer, had trouble getting the ball much of the game. She had three shots in the first half and scored one point.

Point guard Megan Stafford, Irvine’s second-leading scorer, didn’t start and played only 17 minutes because of a stress reaction in her left foot. She scored nine points, had four assists and hit a three-pointer that cut the Vandals’ lead to 68-65 with 11 seconds left. But it came too late.

Stafford, a sophomore, sat out the first six minutes, then led a run that gave Irvine a 17-16 lead. Stafford missed her first shot, lost the player she was defending and turned the ball over in her first 30 seconds. She then had three points and three assists in less than two minutes.

But Stafford was noticeably limping at times and sat out the last eight minutes of the half.

“We probably played Megan too much,” Adams said. “She was in a lot of pain and asked out of the game once. She’s going to have to rest that foot six to eight weeks to let it recover.”

Stafford played 11 minutes in the second half and Oseguera began getting shots.

“Tish was open, we just didn’t get her the ball in the first half,” Adams said. “She’s been our go-to person all season and we couldn’t get her the ball. She has got to get more than three shots in a half.”

Oseguera brought the Anteaters back from a 50-40 deficit. She scored seven of her 12 points in a two-minute span. Her layup and free throw made it 53-49 with 7 minutes 50 seconds left.

A moment later, Sabrina Roberson (15 points) hit a jump shot and the Anteaters were down by two. Irvine had one chance to tie, but Nikole Payton’s three-pointer bounced off the rim.

“I thought we were on a roll,” Roberson said. “Megan was back in and we were playing well. I thought we would catch them.”

The Vandals, who had four players in double figures, didn’t allow that.

Alli Nieman, Idaho’s leading scorer, had 16 points. She scored six consecutive points as the Vandals finished the half with an 8-2 run for a 28-24 halftime lead.

In other tournament games:

UC Santa Barbara 92, North Texas 64--Tawnee Cooper scored 21 points for UC Santa Barbara. Kristi Rohr added 16 points and Stacy Clinesmith and Erin Buescher had 13 each for the Gauchos (24-5), who won their 13th straight. UC Santa Barbara coasted after outscoring North Texas 22-2 during a 9:14 span in the first half.

Boise State 65, Pacific 57--Kellie Lewis scored 21 points to lead Boise State. Stephanie Block added 14 points for Boise State (18-9), including baskets on three straight possessions after Pacific drew within two points in the final three minutes.