DENVER - The UC Irvine women's basketball team was unable to overcome a slow start in an 88-60 loss to North Alabama to close out the Pioneer Thanksgiving Classic Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Gymnasium.
 
The Anteaters (3-4) were held to a single-digit quarter for the first time this year and finished with a season-low 16 first-half points. They bounced back in the second half where they scored 44 points on 41% shooting, but it was too late as the Lions had already pulled away.
 
Overall, the 'Eaters shot a season-low 28% from the field and 15% from 3-point range.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Junior Dani Guglielmo scored a team-best 12 points, matching her season high from Friday. Guglielmo also led UCI with three assists, while freshman Chloe Webb finished with 11 points and four rebounds. Freshman Jayde Cadee and senior Lauren Saiki chipped in seven points each. Junior Tahlia Garza added six points and a season-best eight rebounds.
 
Brittany Panetti led the Lions with 20 points, while Ivy Wallen had a double-double (13 points, 10 assists). UNA shot 46% overall and 36% from beyond the arc.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Saiki knocked down a deep three to give UC Irvine its only lead of the game, 3-2, at the 8:42 mark. North Alabama went back on top on its next possession and proceeded to score 13 unanswered points. The Lions extended their advantage to 21 before Guglielmo connected from downtown to make it 27-9 after the first quarter.
 
The Anteaters scored the first four points of the second period to cut the deficit to 14, but UNA answered with a 10-2 spurt to go up, 37-15, with 5:56 remaining. The 'Eaters were then held to just one point over the final six minutes, allowing North Alabama to pull ahead, 45-16.
 
UC Irvine scored more points in the third quarter than it did in the first 20 minutes of the game, but was unable to slow down the Lions as it trailed, 69-36, heading into the fourth.
 
North Alabama (5-2) wouldn't let UCI get much closer in the final frame as it came away with the 88-60 victory.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine has a quick turnaround as it returns home to host Portland State on Monday, Dec. 2. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.
 
NOTES
• After averaging nearly 80 points over the last three games, UC Irvine was held to 60 or fewer for only the second time this season.
• The Anteaters have had a different leading scorer in five of their seven games.
• Dani Guglielmo had back-to-back double-figure scoring games for the first time in her career.
• For the first time this year, Lauren Saiki did not lead the 'Eaters in assists.
• Saiki has still had multiple assists in every contest and sits at No. 9 in school history with 279 career helpers.