Seattle, Wash. – Kelly Meggs drained a three-pointer with 1:02 to go in overtime to lift UC Irvine to a 61-60 victory over Seattle University at the Connolly Center Saturday.
UCI picks up its second win of the season (2-5) and wins a road contest for the first time since Dec. 13, 2010 when the Anteaters also defeated Seattle, 69-55. The Redhawks fall to 2-4 overall.
Camille Buckley led UCI with 16 points, six rebounds and a career-high five steals. Meggs and Jasmine Bernard followed with 12 points each with Bernard pulling down a team best seven rebounds. Bernard score 10 of her points in the second half. Cheyenne Cathey recorded 11 points, going 5-8 from the floor, while Jennifer Tsurumoto tallied seven points and four steals.
The Anteaters shot a season-best 46.6 percent (27-58) from the field and swiped 21 steals. Seattle U shot 39.7 percent (25-63) and out-rebounded UCI 38-35. Both teams had five three-pointers.
The Redhawks were led by Kacie Sowell with a game-high 21 points and 14 rebounds. Sylvia Shephard added 17 points, nine assists and seven steals. Ashley Ward totaled 10 points and five assists.
UCI opened the game 7-0, but the lead would change six times before UCI went on a 11-2 run to take a 26-18 lead with 2:50 remaining in the first half. Seattle U would turn up the pressure and score the last four points to give UCI the 26-22 halftime advantage.
Seattle U would start the second half on a 13-2 run and took a 35-28 lead with 13:55 to play. The Redhawks would have its largest lead 47-36 at 8:29, but the Anteaters wouldn't go away out-scoring Seattle 9-0, the last a Jasmine Bernard basket to close to 47-45 at 4:53. After three Seattle points, UCI used a three-pointer by Anete Klintsone and a layup by Meggs to tie the score at 50-50 at 1:56. Sylvia Shepard would steal the ball and lay it in before Meggs would hit another layup with 53 seconds remaining to knot the score at 52-52. Kacie Sowell put an offensive rebound back at 28.0 seconds then UCI's Cheyenne Cathey drove from the top of the key down the lane and laid the ball in with three seconds left to send the game in to overtime, 54-54.
In overtime, Seattle U held the 60-58 advantage on a Kacie Sowell basket in the paint at 1:28. Meggs drained a three-pointer at 1:02 to put the Anteaters ahead, 61-60. Seattle U would miss a lay up with 35 seconds to go, but UCI would be called for an offensive foul to give the Redhawks the ball back with 19 seconds left. Seattle could not capitalize on two final shots to give UCI the victory.
UCI will return home to host Idaho Wednesday (Dec. 5) at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Events Center.
