Box Score Irvine, Calif. – UC Irvine's Irene Chavez knocked down five three-pointers as the Anteaters defeated UC Santa Barbara 58-46 at the Bren Events Center Thursday.
The Anteaters go to 6-22 overall and 3-10 in the Big West, two games ahead of UCSB (1-25, 1-12) with three games remaining for the final spot in the Big West Tournament.
Chavez went 6-12 from the field, including a career-high 5-10 from three-point distance for her game-high 18 points. She also added two assists, a block and a steal off the bench.
Forward Mokun Fajemisin was one board shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. She swatted a career-high five blocks and moved in to fifth in the UCI season block list (52) and sixth in the career record book (73), climbing over UCI assistant coach Lauren (Yadon) Bowie.
Shereen Sutherland added 11 points and six rebounds, while guard Raelyn Cheung-Sutton matched her career-high with nine assists and forward Methlyn Onogomuho had eight rebounds to go with six points.
UCI shot 57.1 percent (12-21) from the floor in the second half and was 44 percent (22-50) for the game.
UCSB was led by Jasmine Ware with 12 points, shooting 6-9 from the floor. Onome Jemerigbe ha seven points and Taylor Farris grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
UCSB held a 13-5 lead before the Anteaters went on an 10-0 run to take a 15-13 lead on a Methlyn Onogomuo basket at 6:08. Irene Chavez would heat up knocking down three three-pointers to end the half, giving the Anteaters the 24-19 lead.
The Anteaters went on a 10-2 run, which included four points from Mokun Fajemsin and Shereen Sutherland to build a 16-point (45-29) lead with 7:12 to play. UCSB would score the next six to bring the margin back to 45-35 with 5:57 to play, but UCI responded with six of their own to extend the lead back to 51-35 with 3:19 remaining. The Gauchos would record six of the final seven points for the 58-46 final score.
UCI will host Cal Poly Saturday (Feb. 28) at 2:00 p.m. at the Bren Events Center. Saturday is UCI's annual Think Pink game to support Breast Cancer Awareness.
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