Box Score Irvine, Calif. -- UC Irvine dominated the first half then held on for a 84-75 victory over Cal Poly in the annual "Think Pink" game in support of Breast Cancer Awareness at the Bren Events Center Saturday.
UCI wins its second consecutive game and goes to 7-22 overall and 4-10 in the Big West, moving in to a tie with Cal State Fullerton for the seventh spot in the Big West standings. Cal Poly goes to 14-13 on the year and 9-6 in league action. UCI will take its final road trip of the regular season, traveling up the 55 freeway to battle Cal State Fullerton Thursday (Mar. 5) for a 7:00 p.m. game in Titan Gym.
The Anteaters' 84 points is a season-high and is the second most points given up by Cal Poly this season.
The Anteater guards stole the show with sophomore Irene Chavez posting a career-high 24 points and junior Raelyn Cheung-Sutton pouring in a career-high 20 points. Chavez hit 7-14 from the floor, including 4-6 from three-point distance to go with four assists, which tied her career best. Cheung-Sutton, whose previous personal best was 13 points, went 8-13 from the floor and fired a game-high six assists.
Forward Shereen Sutherland added 11 points and forward Methlyn Onogomuho recorded 10 points and six rebounds. Forward Chloe Kellum came off the bench and tied her career-high with a team-high eight rebounds plus eight points. UCI's leading scorer Mokun Fajemisin also added eight points in the win.
UCI shot a season-high 51.7 percent (31-60) from the floor and 72 percent from the line (18-25). The Anteaters previuos best shooting performance was 44 percent on Thursday versus UC Santa Barbara. UCI, who knocked down 4-7 three-pointers, dished a season-high 20 assists.
Cal Poly was led by Ariana Elegado's game-high 24 points and five assists. Dynn Leaupepe followed with 16 points and nine boards, while Hannah Gilbert recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Mustangs shot just 12.1 percent (4-33) in the first half and finished the game shooting 34.6 percent from the field (27-78). Cal Poly went 17-23 from the free throw line and beat UCI on the boards, 49-37.
UCI shot 54.3 percent (19-35) and dominated the first half, 44-19. UCI jumped out to an early 12-4 lead and then went on a 12-0 run which included two Irene Chavez three-pointers to build a 26-8 advantage at 8:03. Chloe Kellum had two free throws and a jumper before Methlyn Onogomuho hit a jumper at 1:08 giving UCI its largest lead of the game, 42-14. Cal Poly had five of the final seven points to narrow UCI's margin to 25 at the half.
Cal Poly then out-scored UCI 34-16 to cut the deficit to just seven (60-53) on an Ariana Elegado three-pointer with 10:01 to play. The Anteaters responded with the next four points to extend the cushion back to 11 (64-53) on a Raelyn Cheung-Sutton layup at 9:09. Cal Poly would get as close as four (70-66) on four straight points by Elegado with 4:13 left. UCI would then out-score Cal Poly 9-2, four points coming from Cheung-Sutton, to take a 77-68 lead with 1:03 to go. UCI would use four free throws by Chavez and one by Shereen Sutherland to keep the Mustangs at bay to end the game, 84-75.
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