KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team saw its comeback effort fall short in a 78-72 neutral-site loss to Davidson Friday at the Swinney Center. This was the first of two Preseason WNIT consolation games for the Anteaters this weekend.
 
The 'Eaters trailed by as many as 17 in the first half before using a big third quarter where they outscored the Wildcats, 20-12, to get back in the game. They came within one with 3:57 left in the fourth, but Davidson was able to stay out front and hold on for the win.
 
"We didn't come out ready to play," UCI head coach Tamara Inoue said. "We came out flat and just weren't doing the little things like making layups and free throws. We let them shoot the three and drive to the basket at will. We didn't get going until the second half and just ran out of time."
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Senior Lauren Saiki led UC Irvine with 18 points (7-16 FG), six assists and four rebounds. Saiki increased her career assist total to 254, putting her at No. 10 in program history. Junior Alexus Seaton finished with 17 points and five boards. Freshman Sophia Locandro was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field for a season-high 14 points. Locandro also pulled down six rebounds. Junior Jordan Sanders chipped in nine points, five rebounds and two steals.
 
Katie Turner paced Davidson (2-1) with 20 points, knocking down 4-of-7 from long distance.
 
Both teams shot over 40%, but the big difference was beyond the arc where the Wildcats were 44% (8-18) compared to UCI's 27% (3-11). The Anteaters also lost the battle on the boards, 40-33, but scored 20 points off 16 Wildcat turnovers.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: UC Irvine (1-2) took an early 7-4 lead on a Seaton layup at the 7:13 mark, but Davidson answered with a 13-2 run over the next five minutes to pull ahead, 17-9. Junior Haleigh Talbert then knocked down a couple of free throws and Saiki drained a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 17-14.
 
The Wildcats took control in the second quarter, going up 42-25 with 2:28 remaining in the half. Locandro then scored five consecutive points to spark a 9-2 Anteater rally, which ended with a triple from freshman Jayde Cadee, to make it a 10-point game with 28 seconds on the clock. Davidson was able to add to its lead before the break, taking a 46-34 cushion into the locker room.
 
After the Wildcats increased their advantage to 15 early in the third frame, the 'Eaters made their push. A three-point play by Saiki started a 16-2 spurt that brought UCI within one, 53-52, at the 4:18 mark. UC Irvine couldn't quite get over the hump but kept it close, trailing 58-54 heading into the fourth.
 
It continued to go back-and-forth over the final 10 minutes with the Anteaters once again making it a one-point game at 68-67 on a Sanders jumper with 3:57 to play. Davidson responded with its eighth 3-pointer of the night and held on for the 78-72 victory.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine will conclude its first-ever appearance in the Preseason WNIT against Portland State on Saturday, Nov. 16. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. (CT)/11 a.m. (PT) at the Swinney Center.
 
NOTES
• Lauren Saiki ranks 10th in school history with 254 career assists.
• This season, Saiki is averaging a team-best 16.0 points and 7.3 assists per game.
• Alexus Seaton's 17 points matched her career high which she established in the season opener vs. San Jose State.
• Sophia Locandro is tops on the team with a 68.9 field goal percentage (11-16).
• Jayde Cadee scored her first career points with two free throws in the first quarter and hit her first three in the second period.
• Jordan Sanders finished with nine points, ending her 14-game double-figure scoring streak.
• The Anteaters have committed fewer turnovers than its opponent in all three games this year.
• This was the first meeting between UC Irvine and Davidson.