IRVINE, Calif. - Senior Lauren Saiki and junior Jordan Sanders combined for 31 second-half points to help the UC Irvine women's basketball team run away with an 80-65 victory over Loyola Marymount Tuesday evening at the Bren Events Center.
 
The Anteaters (3-2) were up by six through three quarters before Saiki opened the fourth period with back-to-back 3-pointers to build a double-digit lead they would not relinquish. As a team, the 'Eaters shot 55% from the field, while holding LMU to 14.3% over the final 10 minutes.
 
"In the second half we slowed down and played smart basketball," UCI head coach Tamara Inoue said. "We were sending (Loyola Marymount) to the free throw line too much, so we still have to play better defense, but offensively we were getting the right shots. Credit to LMU, they played hard and have some great players, but for our team it was all about finishing the game."
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Lauren Saiki finished with a game-high 20 points and six assists to go along with four rebounds, two steals and one block. She was 6-of-12 from the floor and 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. Saiki made all of her field goals in the second half where she had 19 points.
 
Junior Jordan Sanders added 17 points and four boards. Junior Haleigh Talbert also had a season-high 12 points on a 5-of-7 shooting performance (2-3 3FG). Junior Tahlia Garza contributed nine points, four rebounds and two blocks, while junior Alexus Seaton and freshman Chloe Webb had seven points each.
 
The Anteaters recorded season bests in 3-point field goal percentage (42.9%) and free throw percentage (81.0%). They also forced a season-high 29 turnovers.
 
Ciera Ellington paced the Lions with 18 points, while Raychel Stanley notched a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Loyola Marymount (1-3) took an early lead before a Sanders jumper got UC Irvine going at the 8:04 mark. Over the next two minutes, the Anteaters scored seven unanswered points to pull ahead, 7-4. Talbert and Sanders then connected from downtown on back-to-back possessions to start a 10-4 run that put the 'Eaters on top by nine (17-8) with 1:59 remaining, but the Lions were able to cut the deficit to 17-12 by the end of the first quarter.
 
LMU kept the momentum early in the second period, using a 7-0 rally to reclaim the advantage at 19-17. Talbert responded with a jumper, and it proceeded to go back-and-forth over the next couple minutes with three ties and two lead changes. After UCI knotted the score at 23-23, a Yazzy Sa'Dullah steal and fastbreak layup gave the home team the lead for good. UC Irvine closed out the first half with an 11-2 spurt to increase its cushion to 32-25 at the break.
 
Loyola Marymount pulled within three to start the third frame before Saiki answered with four-straight points to keep the Anteaters out front. UCI continued to push, but the Lions remained within striking distance, closing the gap to six through three.
 
It was all 'Eaters in the fourth where they outscored LMU, 26-17, and held them to just 14% shooting. Saiki opened the scoring with a couple 3-pointers to give UCI a 60-48 lead at the 8:07 mark. The Anteaters led by double digits the rest of the way, going up by as many as 18 en route to the 80-65 victory.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine now has a 10-day layoff before traveling to Colorado for the Pioneer Thanksgiving Classic. The Anteaters will square off against host Denver on Friday, Nov. 29, and North Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 30.
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine is now 12-8 all-time against Loyola Marymount.
• The Anteaters improved to 2-0 at the Bren Events Center this year.
• It was also their fifth-straight home win dating back to last year.
• UCI forced a season-high 29 turnovers, 22 of which came in the first half.
• Lauren Saiki recorded her first 20-point game of the season and fourth of her career.
• Saiki has reached double digits in scoring in five consecutive outings.
• She is averaging 15.8 points, 7.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds per contest.
• Jordan Sanders had her 46th double-figure scoring game and is now up to 955 career points in two-plus seasons.
• Sanders moved into a tie for 10th in the school record books with her 61st career block.
• Tahlia Garza is also eighth in program history with 73 career blocks.