PHOENIX, Ariz. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team turned up the pressure late as a big fourth quarter, in which they forced seven turnovers, helped them run away with an 84-71 victory over LIU Brooklyn Friday at the GCU Thanksgiving Classic.
 
"It was our first road game, so it took us a minute to get going," head coach Tamara Inoue said. "In the fourth quarter we came after them, and creating those turnovers really got us over the hump, or else it would have been a close one down to the very end. I'm just proud of our kids constantly battling it out. I have confidence in each and every one of them."
 
UCI improved to 4-0 on the year, matching their best start in program history.
 
Sophomore Jordan Sanders led the way with 21 points in 17 minutes played. She was 6-for-8 from the field and 9-of-10 at the free throw line. It was her second 20-point game of the season and fourth of her career.
 
Sophomore Alexus Seaton, who was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor, finished with a career-high 15 points. Junior Lauren Saiki also had 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
 
Sophomore Haleigh Talbert added nine points, five boards, four assists and three steals, while senior Andee Ritter registered seven points and a team-best four steals. Sophomore Tahlia Garza chipped in nine points and six rebounds.

As a team, the Anteaters shot 43.3 percent (26-60) overall and 80 percent (28-35) at the charity stripe. They forced LIU into 23 turnovers and converted those miscues into 29 points. 
 
UC Irvine got off to a slow start, missing its first four shots before Seaton ended the drought with a layup at the 7:05 mark. LIU Brooklyn was able to stay out front and take its largest lead of the game at 14-6 with 3:21 to play. The 'Eaters then used a 5-0 spurt to cut the deficit to three, but the Blackbirds outscored UCI, 4-1, down the stretch for an 18-12 advantage.
 
Ritter opened the second period with a 3-pointer and UC Irvine continued on a 10-2 run to take its first lead of the day, 22-20, with 8:29 remaining. The two teams went back-and-forth with three ties over the next couple minutes before the Anteaters scored five unanswered to go on top, 31-26, at the 5:18 mark. The 'Eaters kept the momentum and went up by as many as seven, but the Blackbirds rallied late to make it a two-point game (38-36) at intermission.
 
UCI started strong in the third frame with four quick points from Sanders giving them a 42-36 cushion. LIU eventually took its first lead since early in the second quarter, but that was short-lived as Saiki answered with a triple to put UC Irvine up, 48-46, with 5:03 to play. After the Blackbirds knotted the score two more times, the Anteaters pulled ahead on another Saiki three. They stayed out front and held a 59-56 edge at the end of the third quarter.
 
LIU Brooklyn (0-5) began the final period with a 3-pointer, but Seaton responded with a layup at the 8:54 mark to break the deadlock. The UCI defense then turned it up a notch as it forced the Blackbirds into four-straight turnovers, sparking a 9-0 run, that ended with a three-point play from Garza, to go on top, 71-60. UC Irvine kept the momentum the rest of the way, leading by as many as 14 en route to the 84-71 win. They outscored LIU, 25-15, in the fourth.
 
Jeydah Johnson paced LIU Brooklyn with a game-high 22 points. Brandy Thomas also had 19 points and 16 rebounds.
 
UC Irvine returns to GCU Arena on Saturday, Nov. 24, when it squares off against Indiana State on the final day of the GCU Thanksgiving Classic.
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine is 4-0 for the second time in program history. The 1995-96 team also opened the campaign with four consecutive wins.
• The Anteaters snapped a seven-game losing streak in neutral-site contests.
• The 'Eaters have forced more than 20 turnovers in all four games this year.
• Dating back to last year, Andee Ritter has now made a 3-pointer in 15-straight games.
• Ritter has 153 career threes and needs 46 more to break UCI's all-time record.
• Through four games, Jordan Sanders is averaging a team-leading 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds.
• Sophomore Haleigh Talbert made her first career start.