Box Score Irvine, Calif. – Once again UC Irvine struggled in the fourth quarter to allow Northern Arizona to defeat the Anteaters 71-55 at the Bren Events Center Friday.
UCI (1-5) who trailed Northern Arizona 32-27 at the half, came alive in the third quarter. After trailing by eight (35-27) at 7:33, the Anteaters went on an 11-1 run and took their first lead of the game on a Raelyn Cheung-Sutton jumper (38-37) with 3:40 left in the period. UCI would score six of the next eight points to extend the lead to 44-38 at 1:10, but NAU scored the final three points to narrow the margin to 44-43 at the end of the quarter.
In the final period, the teams would be tied 48-48 before the Lumberjacks would explode on a 16-3 spurt to take a 64-51 advantage with 2:28 to play. UCI would make two more baskets the rest of the way.
UCI was led by Mokun Fajemisin with 16 points, seven points and three blocks. Shereen Sutherland had a season-high 13 points and nine rebounds. Paulina Santana came off the bench to add a season-high nine points, while Raelyn Cheung-Sutton recorded eight points and seven assists.
The Anteaters shot 37.9 percent from the floor (22-58) and just 47.4 percent from the free throw line (9-19), while the Lumberjacks were 48.3 percent from the floor (28-58) and 46.2 percent from the line (12-26). NAU won the rebound battle, 42-35.
NAU was led by Brittani Lusain's 25 points and eight rebounds followed by Alyssa Rader with 22 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Monique Mulder came off the bench to record 12 points.
UCI will host Nevada Sunday (Dec. 6) at 2:00 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.
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