UCI improving

The 2008-09 season represented a bit of time-lapse photography for UC Irvine women’s basketball coach Molly Goodenbour. And the pictures weren’t pretty.

Inheriting a moribund program with a cupboard virtually barren of talent, and with little time to restock the shelves, Goodenbour’s first campaign as a Division I coach came with a 7-23 record.

Those losses were more than double the number she sustained in two seasons at Division II Chico State (where she was 52-11), and two more than she collected in three seasons at Santa Rosa Community College (69-21).

“I certainly wouldn’t want to go through that again,” Goodenbour said of last season, in which the Anteaters were 4-11 in the Big West Conference and 2-11 at home.

With the help of two talented transfers, three scholarship freshmen and the expected return to health of a key player who was sidelined last season, few expect UCI to linger so lowly in 2009-10.

Yet they were still picked to finish last among nine teams in the preseason conference poll and Goodenbour admits they are still on the lower rungs of the staircase she hopes will lead the program to perennial contention for a conference title.

“We’re in a better place this year than we were last year and, hopefully, next year we’ll be able to say the same thing,” said Goodenbour, whose team opens its season today at 5 p.m. against San Diego State at the Bren Events Center. “We’re taking steps. Our goal is to finish with a winning record and to finish in the top four of our conference. I think those are realistic.”

Helping fuel such optimism is the presence of junior Jade Smith-Williams, who earned all-conference honors for Goodenbour at Chico State in 2007-08 and gives UCI a solid point guard for the first time in several years.

“She’s a great floor leader, and an excellent on-ball defender, just a good all-around player,” Goodenbour said of Smith-Williams, who had 17 points in a 57-54 exhibition win over Concordia on Nov. 5.

Smith-Williams will trigger an emphasis on up-tempo play, Goodenbour said.

“We want to run more this year, out of necessity,” Goodenbour said, “because it’s going to be difficult for us in a half-court set, at times.”

That difficulty stems from a lack of consistent perimeter shooting, and as-yet-unproven inside scoring punch.

Senior Rebecca Maessen returns after leading the team in scoring as a junior (12.7 per game) and senior Mary Has, who averaged 12.1 points and a team-leading 5.5 rebounds in 16 games, before being sidelined by a torn ACL, should be back by December, Goodenbour said.

Kim Barnes, a 6-foot-4 junior center, has made great strides during an off-season with the New Zealand national team, Goodenbour said, and the arrival of 6-1 Loyola Marymount transfer Mikah Maly-Karros (eligible for the 10th game) should give UCI an additional inside threat.

Keyonna Johnson, a 5-5 senior, is also back after starting all 30 games last season (4.7 ppg). She had 14 points against Concordia.

The aforementioned freshmen are 6-0 Lauren Spinazze, 5-11 Cheyenne Cathey and 5-9 Jazmyne White.

“They all play the three-four position,” Goodenbour said. “I would say Spinazze is the best shooter in the group, Cathey is the best post-up player and White is the best athlete.

Goodenbour also expects contributions from junior Raquel Theus, sophomore Kiara Belen and senior Ka’Jahna Johnson.

“I think we’re in a good place, but we have a long way to go,” Goodenbour said.