What a finish. Lex with a big steal & Jordan with the big shot for the Black & Blue Rivalry win!

Recap: https://t.co/LRSgpvuW6D pic.twitter.com/a4KAK4qHT9

— UCI W Basketball (@UCIwbb) February 15, 2019

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Sophomore Jordan Sanders knocked down the game-winner at the buzzer to give the UC Irvine women's basketball team a 48-46 victory over Long Beach State Thursday evening at the Walter Pyramid.
 
"This is a big win; conference is tough, everybody knows everybody inside and out," head coach Tamara Inoue said. "It just depends on what we can stop and what we can't, you have to pick your poison. The fourth quarter push is usually ours, but today Long Beach made the late run and we were lucky to pull out the win."
 
The Anteaters (16-5, 6-3 Big West) had an eight-point lead with 7:35 left in the fourth, before the Beach rallied to knot the score at 46-46 with 15 seconds left. A travel called on sophomore Alexus Seaton gave the ball back to LBSU with four seconds remaining, but Seaton stepped up on the defensive end with a steal on the inbounds pass, allowing only two ticks to come off the clock. That set up the game-winner as junior Brooke Bayman got it in to Sanders who drained a contested 18-footer.
 
Sanders finished with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Junior Lauren Saiki added 12 points and six assists. Bayman chipped in six points on a pair of threes, while Seaton had four points, five rebounds and a career-best four steals.
 
"Lex is constantly improving and coming out of her shell," Inoue said. "The game is slowing down for her and she's really coming on strong for us right now."
 
Both teams shot 33.3 percent from the field and made six 3-pointers. The Anteaters outrebounded the 49ers, 39-38, and forced 20 turnovers.
 
UC Irvine took an early 6-2 lead after back-to-back triples from Saiki and Sanders at the 6:10 mark. Long Beach State responded with an 8-2 run to go up, 10-8, but the 'Eaters scored the final three points of the first quarter to pull ahead, 11-10.
 
In the second period, UCI used an 11-2 spurt, capped by a pair of free throws from sophomore Haleigh Talbert, to take an eight-point advantage (22-14) with 2:31 left in the half. The Beach then ended a five-minute scoring drought and was able to close the gap to 23-18 at the break.
 
UC Irvine started the third frame with buckets from Sanders and senior Sabrina Engelstad to take its largest lead of the night at 27-18 at the 8:28 mark. The Anteaters stayed in control for the remainder of the period, holding a 35-29 advantage heading into the fourth.
 
Bayman's second 3-pointer of the night put the 'Eaters back on top by nine to start the final stanza, but LBSU proceeded on an 11-1 run to go up, 40-39, with 5:27 to go. The 'Eaters came back with a Sanders jumper that sparked a 7-0 rally to give them some breathing room at 46-40. The 49ers would not go away, however, as they tied it up at 46-all to set up the wild sequence of plays in the final seconds.
 
Long Beach State dropped to 7-16 overall and 4-6 in Big West play. Naomi Hunt paced the Beach with 21 points and eight rebounds.
 
UC Irvine has a quick turnaround as it heads to UC Santa Barbara for a 4 p.m. showdown on Saturday, Feb. 16.
 
NOTES
• The 'Eaters were held to a season-low in points scored, but also kept their opponent under 50 for the second time this year.
• UCI also held its adversary to single digits in a quarter for the eighth time.
• Long Beach State's 18 points were the fewest the Anteaters have allowed in the first half this season.
• UC Irvine forced at least 20 turnovers for the 15th time in 2018-19.
• The 'Eaters are now in sole possession of second place in the Big West standings, sitting a half-game ahead of CSUN and Hawai'i.  
• UCI improved to 10-0 on the year when leading at halftime.
• Following tonight's win, the Anteaters lead the Black & Blue Rivalry Series, 13-9.
• Jordan Sanders recorded her third double-double of the season and fourth of her career.      
• Lauren Saiki notched her 13th game with 5+ assists.