Women S Basketball

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL UC Irvine 86, Long Beach State 61 IRVINE - Senior Kassandra McCalister had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead the host Anteaters in the Big West Conference game Thursday. Sophomore Jacquelyn Marshall had 18 points and nine rebounds, while three other Anteaters scored in double figures. The win for UCI (10-12, 6-3 in conference), sets up a first-place showdown with visiting Cal State Northridge (7-2 in conference) on Saturday at 4 p.m. Anete Klintsone had 11 points, four rebounds and four assists for UCI, which avenged a 63-51 loss at Long Beach State on Dec. 31. Kiara Belen had 10 points and six rebounds, while Kelly Meggs had 12 points off the bench for the winners.

UC Irvine junior forward Camille Buckley was named to the All-Big West Conference second team by the league coaches. Buckley led the Big West in rebounding at 9.9 per contest and was 12th overall in scoring at 12.1 points per game overall. She also ranked sixth in field-goal percentage with a .452 mark. In Big West games-only, she is the only player to average a double-double with an 11.9 points and 11.5 rebound average. Buckley grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds at UC Davis which is tied for seventh in the country this year.

COSTA MESA - Five players scored in double figures for the Vanguard University women's basketball team as the Lions dominated in a 107-27 nonconfeence victory over visiting La Sierra Tuesday. Vanguard (5-1) grabbed a 51-14 halftime lead and cruised to victory as the Lions' Kelly Boeke led with a game-high 21 points. Beth Weidler scored 19, Courtney McKinney finished with 16 points, while Laura Lee had 14 and Erin Edminston had 10. NONCONFERENCE Vanguard 107, La Sierra 27 La Sierra - Duffield 9, Meriedith 7, Barnes 5, Carbajal 4, Klytta 2. 3-pt goals - None.

Tony Altobelli Doug Bennett, executive of Orange Coast College's Foundation and the public address announcer for all the women's basketball home games will be inducted into the California Community College Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on March 10. The ceremony will take place during a hall of fame luncheon prior to the state community college women's basketball tournament. Bennett is being honored for his "outstanding record of achievement and enthusiastic work toward the advancement of community college women's basketball in California."

Orange Coast College math professor Sandra Savage was awarded the first-ever Sandra Hope Savage Award for excellence in science in mathematics education by the South Coast chapter of the Assn. for Women in Science. ... Dr. Andrew Paul Gerken, of Newport Beach, was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons during the organization's ceremonies in Orlando, Fla., on March 15. ... Newport Beach attorney Thomas E. Miller was named Orange County Alumnus of the Year at Hastings College of Law. ... Costa Mesa's Victor H. Garcia was awarded a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Washington State University.

BREN EVENTS CENTER - UC Irvine fell to visiting University of the Pacific, 65-53, in a Big West women's basketball game Sunday. Pacific was ahead, 49-39, and went on a 9-3 run with 7:26 remaining to put the game out of reach. The Tigers outrebounded the Anteaters, 34-26, while shooting 52 percent for the game (28-54). Pacific was led by Selena Ho with 16 points and six assists. Vanessa Dupont added 15 points and a game-high nine rebounds. UCI had a trio of players in double-figures, with Cindy Oparah leading the way with 16 points, four steals and four rebounds.

UC Irvine senior Cindy Oparah was selected to the Verizon Academic All-District VIII women's basketball first-team as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America. She is one of five student-athletes that will be forwarded to the national ballot. Winners will be announced March 8. Oparah, a biological sciences major who plans to pursue a career in medicine, leads the Big West in scoring (15.7) and rebounding (9.6). She is ranked 25th nationally for rebounds.

LONG BEACH - The UC Irvine women's basketball team witnessed a hot shooting night by Big West host Long Beach State, which won 91-60 Thursday in The Pyramid. The 49ers (6-7, 1-2 in the Big West Conference), winners of six of their last seven, shot 63% from the field and used a 17-6 run over the first 5:30 of the second half to coast to victory. The Anteaters (4-10, 1-2) went on an early 11-0 run after falling 10-0 to open the game. UCI's Cindy Oparah and Christina Callaway keyed the scoring run and led UCI throughout the night, each finishing with a double-double.

BREN EVENTS CENTER - Selena Ho, a two-time first-team All-Big West Conference point guard at the University of the Pacific, has been hired as an assistant of the UC Irvine women's basketball team. Ho, who earned a degree in business administration in May, ended her career this season ranked first all-time in the Big West and 24th among NCAA Division I players in three-pointers made (271). "Selena was the premiere point guard in the Big West Conference over the last four years," Irvine women's basketball coach Mark Adams said.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL UC Irvine 84, SAN LUIS OBISPO — Stephanie Duda scored a career-high 22 points to go with 11 rebounds and five steals, to key the Big West Conference-opening win Thursday. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 73   Angie Ned scored 15 points, while Miranda Forry and Annie Mai had 14 each. Rebecca Maessen had 12 for UCI (3-11). Big West Conference UCI -- Duda 22, Ned 15, Mai 14, Forry 14, Maessen 12, Ishizaki 5, Johnson 2. UC Irvine 84, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 73   3-pt.

UC Irvine junior forward Camille Buckley was named to the All-Big West Conference second team by the league coaches. Buckley led the Big West in rebounding at 9.9 per contest and was 12th overall in scoring at 12.1 points per game overall. She also ranked sixth in field-goal percentage with a .452 mark. In Big West games-only, she is the only player to average a double-double with an 11.9 points and 11.5 rebound average. Buckley grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds at UC Davis which is tied for seventh in the country this year.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL UC Irvine 65, Long Beach State 57 IRVINE - Junior Camille Buckley had 13 points and 12 rebounds to lead the host Anteaters in the Big West Conference game on Thursday. UCI (9-17, 5-9 in conference) has won four straight and is closing in on a bid to the eight-team Big West Tournament. Combined with UC Riverside's loss at UC Davis Thursday, UCI is in eighth place with four conference games remaining. Kelly Meggs, who was four of eight from three-point range, had 14 points and four assists, while fellow guard Jennifer Tsurumoto had 10 points and five assists for the winners.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Cal State Fullerton 65, UC Irvine 51 FULLERTON - The host Titans opened the second half on a 12-2 run to take control in the Big West Conference game on Thursday. UCI (4-13, 0-5 in conference) posted its best scoring output in conference play, but shot only 33.9% from the field (19 for 56). Junior Camille Buckley led UCI with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while junior reserve Jasmine Bernard had 12 points and nine boards. Bernard was six for nine from the field.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Vanguard 56, San Diego Christian 50 COSTA MESA - Esther Timmermans scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help lead the undefeated Lions, ranked No. 2 in the NAIA, in their Golden State Athletic Conference opener Tuesday. Nicole Ballestero added 12 points, Chelsea Alfafara scored 10 points and Maree Drennan (seven points) led Vanguard (10-0, 1-0 in conference) with 10 rebounds. The Lions outrebounded San Diego Christian, 43-32. San Diego Christian is 8-9, 0-1. * MEN'S BASKETBALL San Diego Christian 74, Vanguard 67 COSTA MESA - Preston Wynne scored 23 points for the Lions in their Golden State Athletic Conference opener Tuesday.

COSTA MESA - Competing against winless California Maritime Academy on Thursday, the unbeaten and No. 4-ranked Vanguard University women's basketball team didn't figure to have to worry about finding its sea legs. But when the visiting Keelhaulers hit five of their first seven three-point attempts, then added a sixth three ball to take a 22-15 lead midway through the opening half, Lions Coach Russ Davis wondered if his three-game winning streak was headed for an unexpected iceberg.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL UC Irvine 86, Long Beach State 61 IRVINE - Senior Kassandra McCalister had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead the host Anteaters in the Big West Conference game Thursday. Sophomore Jacquelyn Marshall had 18 points and nine rebounds, while three other Anteaters scored in double figures. The win for UCI (10-12, 6-3 in conference), sets up a first-place showdown with visiting Cal State Northridge (7-2 in conference) on Saturday at 4 p.m. Anete Klintsone had 11 points, four rebounds and four assists for UCI, which avenged a 63-51 loss at Long Beach State on Dec. 31. Kiara Belen had 10 points and six rebounds, while Kelly Meggs had 12 points off the bench for the winners.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Wyoming 51, UC Irvine 42 LARAMIE, Wyo. - Jazmyne White and Anete Klintsone scored eight points each to lead the Anteaters in the nonconference game Wednesday. White also led UCI (4-8) with eight rebounds. Wyoming (4-7) led, 32-14, at the half. Wyoming's Ashley Sickles scored a game-high 24 points.

COSTA MESA — Going cold in the second half Saturday prevented the Orange Coast College women’s basketball team from playing in the championship game of its Coast Christmas Classic. The Pirates (10-4) hit nine of 28 for 32.1% in the second half and lost to Canyons, 63-58, in the semifinals. They’ll play for third place against Cerritos today at 3 p.m. Canyons (6-4) will face Saddleback in the title game, scheduled for 5 p.m. Freshman Samantha Hansen led the Pirates with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while sophomore Jenna Lujan added 10 points.

Molly Goodenbour came to UC Irvine to embrace a challenge and the Anteaters’ newly hired women’s basketball coach said Wednesday her players should expect to be challenged by her and her future staff. “I told them they were going to be challenged in ways they probably hadn’t been challenged before,” said Goodenbour, the 2008 California Collegiate Athletic Assn. Coach of the Year at Chico State, where she led the Wildcats to a school-record win total in a 28-6 season that included a conference title and the program’s sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament.