UC Irvine women get defensive to win Big West showdown with UCSB
The Anteaters shake off a poor shooting night in their last game while holding the Gauchos to a season-low point total in a 60-38 win to gain sole possession of second place in the conference
UC Irvine forward Nevaeh Dean, right, looks to get into position to shoot as UC Santa Barbara center Laurel Rockwood defends during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, center, navigates traffic in the paint as she looks to shoot between UC Santa Barbara forward Zoe Borter, left, and forward Alexis Whitfield during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Nikki Tom shoots from outside during their Big West Conference game against UC Santa Barbara on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Santa Barbara center Laurel Rockwood, left, hangs onto the rebound in front of UC Irvine forward Nevaeh Dean during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, left, gets by UC Santa Barbara guard Anya Choice to get her shot off during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Amelia Scharpf reacts on the sideline as she watches a shot by a teammate during their Big West Conference game against UC Santa Barbara on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Shirel Nahum, left, and UC Santa Barbara forward Alexis Whitfield scramble for a loose ball during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Amelia Scharpf, right, tries to grab the rebound away from UC Santa Barbara guard Alyssa Marin during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Santa Barbara guard Alyssa Marin, center, is carried off the court by center Laurel Rockwood, left, after being injured during their Big West Conference game against UC Irvine on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, right, drives around UC Santa Barbara guard Anya Choice during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Diaba Konate, right, takes a shot in front of UC Santa Barbara forward Zoe Borter during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Deja Lee, center, drives through UC Santa Barbara guard Mary McMorris, left, and guard Anya Choice during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Santa Barbara guard Skylar Burke, right, runs into UC Irvine guard Nikki Tom during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine forward Nevaeh Dean, center, looks to put up a shot between UC Santa Barbara guard Mary McMorris, left, and forward Alexis Whitfield during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Santa Barbara guard Alyssa Marin, right, trips as she tries to get away from UC Irvine guard Deja Lee during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine forward Nevaeh Dean, right, looks to get into position to shoot as UC Santa Barbara center Laurel Rockwood defends during their Big West Conference game on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
IRVINE — The UC Irvine women’s basketball team asked its defense to keep the score close on Thursday night, just long enough for its offense to get untracked against UC Santa Barbara.
The Anteaters answered the call in the 60-38 victory over UCSB in a matchup of teams that came in tied for second place in the Big West Conference at the Bren Events Center.
“We’re not a high-shooting percentage team,” UCI coach Tamara Inoue said. “Getting people to get them frustrated on the offensive side is what we try to do all the time.”
Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, Shirel Nahum and Nevaeh Parkinson each scored 10 points off the bench for UCI (14-7 overall, 9-3 Big West), which has won seven straight against the Gauchos (14-8, 8-4).
Deja Lee led the UCI starters with nine points and Nikki Tom had a team-high eight rebounds.
“They have such a legacy over there from previous years,” Inoue said of UCSB. “We want to make sure that we can always compete with them. We never overlook Santa Barbara.”
Jessica Grant scored 10 points as the lone player in double figures for UCSB, which was held to its lowest point total of the season and has lost three of five after starting 6-1 in conference play.
UCI was coming off a humbling 55-43 loss at first-place Hawaii (12-8, 9-2) on Saturday in which the Anteaters missed all 15 of their 3-point attempts, the first time they went without one in four years.
UCI starters Diabe Konate (0 for 10), Tom (0 for 6) and Amelia Scharpf (0 for 3) also went without a basket against Hawaii.
“We didn’t want it to get in our heads,” Sida Baba said of the poor shooting from the previous game. “Today just proved that we can shoot and we are a shooting team.”
The Anteaters were up against a UCSB team that shot 3 for 23 from 3-point range in its last game against Cal State Bakersfield but scored just enough points to win, 57-55.
The Gauchos did not score the final 4:07 against Bakersfield and were held without a point for the first 5:29 against UCI before Laurel Rockwood ended the scoreless stretch with a turnaround jumper in the key to cut the lead to 6-2.
Alyssa Marin, the second leading scorer (12.4 ppg) and assist leader (3.4 apg) for UCSB, had to be helped off the court after an offensive foul by Parkinson with 53 seconds left in the opening quarter left her with a laceration on her cheek and a mild concussion.
She did not return, adding to the Gauchos’ offensive struggles.
“Marin going out is not good,” Inoue said. “Hopefully she’s healthy because she definitely helps them. This isn’t realistic with Marin out. We know that.”
Konate missed her first five shots before scoring on a drive in the opening minute of the second quarter to stretch the lead to 15-9.
The Anteaters ended their streak of 25 straight missed 3-point attempts when Sharpf made one for a 24-16 lead with 2:20 left in the first half.
UCI made four of its final eight 3-point attempts against UCSB.
“It’s just the confidence game right now,” Inoue said of her team’s perimeter shooting. “They’re capable of doing it, but I think some of our players, they’re really doubting themselves, so we’re really just trying to let them know, ‘Nah, you guys are good,’ so seeing the 3 go down today was really good.”
Konate scored on a runner with three seconds left to give the Anteaters a 28-19 lead at the break.
UCI forced 13 of UCSB’s 19 turnovers in the first half and owned a 10-4 edge in offensive rebounds, leading to 13 more shot attempts than the Gauchos.
UCI didn’t let up after halftime, scoring the first six points of the third quarter to stretch the lead to 34-19.
The Anteaters led by as much as 20 points before taking a 44-27 advantage into the fourth and UCSB never got any closer.
