Stafford’s a Hit in Her Return for Irvine Women

It might be too simple to give all the credit for UC Irvine’s performance Friday to Megan Stafford, but she certainly deserved the lion’s share in the Anteaters’ 77-56 victory over Ohio in the Oregon State tournament.

Stafford returned from a four-game suspension the same night the Anteaters picked up their first victory. It was no coincidence.

Stafford, a junior point guard, scored Irvine’s first seven points and finished with 18. She had seven assists and only one turnover. She dropped three-pointers, threw in runners and pushed the Anteaters’ transition game.

Irvine (1-3) will face Oregon State tonight in the championship game.

“I was relaxed, excited, happy we got a win,” said Stafford, who missed three regular-season games and the team’s exhibition game for violating team rules.

How big of a difference did she make? Irvine hadn’t scored more than 57 points in any of its first three games. The Anteaters hit 57 with 12 minutes left.

In their last game, the Anteaters went nearly eight minutes without scoring, watching a one-point lead end in a 66-54 loss to West Virginia.

“‘That won’t happen with Megan out there,” Irvine Coach Mark Adams said. “She will get a basket or set someone else up for a basket.”

Stafford started by hitting a three-pointer. She then tossed in a 12-foot runner for a 5-4 Irvine lead. The Anteaters never trailed again.

“Seven assists and one turnover, that’s a pretty good ratio,” Adams said. “She is more of an offensive threat for us out there. She is going to score and that is going to make it easier for our inside players.”

Forward Cindy Oparah benefited the most. Stafford found her for layups on fastbreaks three times. Oparah made eight of 10 shots and finished with 19 points.