Junior Rebecca Maessen also said the program, which has now exited the tournament in the first round four straight seasons, is headed in a brighter direction.
“It has been a tough year, but at the same time it has been a good year,” said Maessen, the team’s leading scorer all season who finished with nine points against the No. 6-seeded Titans (10-19). “There has been a lot of change with a new coach and a whole new staff, but for me, it was a good thing. In the locker room, our accomplishments aren’t really to be seen in our wins, but you can see it in the progress we made as a team, and as individuals.”
The Anteaters lost junior guard Mary Has, the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, to a season-ending knee injury just three games into conference play. UCI also dealt with chronic injury problems that limited junior Kelly Cochran to reserve duty.
Cochran, who had a team-high 12 points and six rebounds in her swan song and was named the conference’s Best Sixth Woman Tuesday, said Wednesday that those chronic knee problems will force her to forego her final year of eligibility.
“I’d love to come back, but physically, I’m unable to perform in a way that would benefit the team,” Cochran said. “It kills me a little bit, because this program is going in such a great direction. Molly has really brought some positive changes and I wish to God that I could play for her for another year. But I’ve kind of got to take care of long-term things.”
Goodenbour said Cochran, as well as departing senior Kirian Ishizaki (four points, two assists and two steals Wednesday) will be missed.
