Tuter envisions upward climb

UCI women’s basketball preview storyUCI aims to build off last season’s strong finish, beginning with tonight’s opener against visiting Fresno State Bulldogs.Upon taking over as interim UC Irvine women’s basketball coach when Mark Adams resigned after last season’s 0-9 start, Molly Tuter said her primary mission was to get her players to lighten up.

The Anteaters won four of their last six games to finish 8-14 under Tuter, who was given the job on a full-time basis after going 1-1 in the Big West Conference Tournament.

This season, Tuter said, it’s time for the Anteaters to step it up.

“I don’t want to use the cliché that the sky’s the limit here, but I think this program can be very successful, year in and year out,” Tuter said. “It’s not going to be an easy road, but I definitely think it can be achieved.”

To that end, Tuter said she will emphasize defense and an up-tempo offensive approach.

The Anteaters open the season tonight at 7 against Fresno State at the Bren Events Center.

“Hopefully, we can get some offense going off our defense,” Tuter said. “We want to run the ball, take advantage of our outside shooting and take advantage of the experience we have as far as flat out knowing how to play the game of basketball.”

Tuter said the team’s work ethic -- plus leadership provided by returners Angie Ned, Lauren Yadon and Melissa Jacob -- could help make success possible.

“Our team has set a lot of goals that I’m not going to share,” Tuter said. “But we are going to outplay every opponent we come across. Whether or not we’ll win each of those games is something that will be determined.”

Ned, a 5-foot-9 junior guard, earned second-team All-Big West Conference honors last season when she averaged a team-leading 16.1 points per game.

Tuter, a former Arizona State star who spent one season with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, said Ned has the potential to play in the WNBA.

Yadon, a 6-3 forward who has started 59 games in her career -- including a team-high 24 last season, averaged 11.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in 2004-05.

Jacob, who will shift from point guard to a wing to make room for freshman Kirian Ishizaki, averaged 9.8 points, 3.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds as a junior.

“I think we have a core group of people who understand what we went through last year; where we ended up and where we need to pick up this year,” Yadon said. “We’re better now than where we ended up last year. And I just think we’re going to get better and better.”

Ishizaki, a four-year starter at Presentation High in San Jose, showed signs in two exhibition games that she could be an impact freshman.