Aggies earn first win at UCI’s expense

Anteaters lose for seventh time in as many games this season against New Mexico State squad that had opened up at 0-6.IRVINE -- After her team fell to 0-7 with an 88-64 nonconference loss to New Mexico State on Wednesday night, UC Irvine women’s basketball Coach Molly Tuter said she would never give up hope that the Anteaters could turn things around.

She would, however, prefer her players give up hoping. And the sooner the better.

“My team right now is hoping we’re going to win; we’re not expecting to win and going out there and making us win,” Tuter said. “We’re hoping that the other team is going to be that bad, so we can win.

“And we’re playing teams that aren’t that bad and aren’t just allowing us to win. It’s just a confidence issue and we’re going to have to work through it. We’ll get there, it’s just taking time and it’s getting a little frustrating.”

The table appeared set for the Anteaters’ first win of the season, against an Aggies team that had also lost its first six games this season.

That notion was quickly dismissed as the visitors made their first nine field-goal attempts.

New Mexico State didn’t miss its first shot until there was 13:18 left in the first half, as it took a 19-11 lead.

Remarkably, things actually got worse for the Anteaters from that point on.

With UCI trailing, 21-12, the visitors went on a 14-0 run before Angie Ned made a 17-foot jumper to halt an eight-minute stretch without a field goal.

Down, 42-28, at halftime, UCI failed to make its first 14 second-half field-goal tries, before Ned’s three-pointer ended the drought with 12:11 left in the game.

By that time, New Mexico State had built a 60-30 cushion, as well as the corresponding confidence that went with its first victory.

That kind of confidence is still lacking at UCI, Tuter said.

“Mentally, we’re not real tough right now,” said Tuter, who will attempt to get her team back up for Saturday’s home clash with Southeastern Louisiana (1-4).

“I knew this whole thing was going to be a rebuilding process,” Tuter said. “And we’ll get there. It’s just going to take time and we have to be patient. It’s hard getting 15 females to believe in themselves and to believe in each other as a team.”

Ned, a junior guard whose early season production has been hindered by a torn hamstring, Tuter said, led the Anteaters with 14 points.

Freshman point guard Kirian Ishizaki and senior Kimberly Martin added 13 points apiece. Martin had a team-high eight rebounds for UC Irvine, which shot 28.6% from the field (18 of 63).

New Mexico State finished 35 of 61 from the field (35 of 61) and outrebounded the hosts, 45-35.

Ned triggered a 9-0 run for the ‘Eaters late in the opening half that trimmed the deficit to 33-21.

But while UC Irvine was struggling to find its shooting range early in the second half, the Aggies reeled off 16 straight points.

It was the sixth straight loss by at least 20 points for the Anteaters, who have dropped eight straight dating back to last season.

Jenean Ford paced the winners with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Nonconference

New Mexico State 88,

UC Irvine 64

Score by Halves