UCSB Starts Big West Tournament at UC Irvine
STEVEN WILSON
News-Press Correspondent
Only
time will tell if the third time is the charm for the UCSB womens basketball
team. The Gauchos start the first round of the Big West Tournament tonight at 7
PM in Irvine against the Anteaters who swept UCSB twice in conference play this
year.
“It’s
not another day at the office, you have to step it up another level,” UCSB
coach Carlene Mitchell said. “I already texted the team this morning to let
them know that they’ll need to bring a whole different mindset today. I took
this job expecting to win and I still expect to win.”
Mitchell
admitted that this season has not gone according to plan, but even after a sub-par
regular season the team can make it count when it matters – the postseason.
“My
goal as a team is that we are peaking at the right time,” she said. “We’ve had
our ups and downs as a team, that’s obvious, but it’s tournament time. We’re
all 0-0. You just have to be the best team that night – that’s all that
matters.”
After
being knocked out of the tournament in the first round by Pacific last season,
seniors Kelsey Adrian and Emilie Johnson don’t want this season to end as
abruptly.
“It’s been brought up,” said
Adrian, referring to the Pacific loss. “It’s tough. We don’t want it to happen
like that again. We were all upset that it was against Pacific and we had
trouble against them this year.”
After
suffering the worst loss of the season to Pacific early last week, it was
Johnson who responded – verbally.
“Emilie actually gave a good
(speech) before the Davis game,” Adrian said. “It really hit home with me and I
came out pretty pumped up.”
The speech helped Adrian record a
game- and career-high 21 points against the Aggies in Saturday’s 60-56 victory.
“She
was just saying it’s one of those things where you look back as a senior and
you know you only get one freshman year, you only get one sophomore year and
you only get one junior year and senior year, you better make the most of it,”
Adrian continued.
After
being named a second team All-Big West selection on Monday – the fourth award
in as many years for the 5-foot-6 guard – Johnson’s says she is not yet
satisfied.
“I
think individual awards often reflect the team,” she said. “Our focus right now
is on (tonight).”
Maybe
Johnson will be able to look back on her awards and smile in time, but Mitchell
helped put it in context for her right now.
“I think Emilie will understand
that individual awards mean absolutely nothing if your team doesn’t win,”
Mitchell said. “Emilie is a competitor and she’s really bought into this
system. She understands her role on the team. She’s a great kid and I wish I
could have her a couple more years, but we want her to go out with a bang.”
The
Gauchos will try to earn a first round victory over a team that has beaten them
twice this season. The Anteaters are led by Kassandra McCalister who had a
career-high 36 points in a 72-65 victory over the Gauchos two weeks ago at the
Bren Center.
“Kassandra has exceeded everyone’s
expectations this year,” UCI coach Molly Goodenbour said. “She has had to
become a point guard even though she’s not a point guard. She’s had her best
year in a while and I’m proud of her.”
The
Anteaters, who average 65 points per game, finished their regular season with a
65-60 overtime victory over UC Riverside to earn the third seed in the
tournament and the teams best finish in a decade.
“This
is the first time going into the game where we feel confident enough to win
this game,” Goodenbour said.
UCSB
used 6-2 center Kirsten Tilleman to guard McCalister last time the teams met,
and Mitchell said she will be part of a barrage of Gauchos used to slow her
down again.
“She’s a great player and she made
a bunch of tough shots even if we contested them,” Mitchell said. “Hopefully we
can do some things to shut her down, but it’s never the star player that hurts
you, it’s the role players.”
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