SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team suffered a 71-52 setback to UC Santa Barbara Saturday afternoon at The Thunderdome.
 
"They were figuring out our press, which was fine because I thought our half-court defense was pretty good," head coach Tamara Inoue said. "It always comes down to rebounding and that is something we have to fix. We also turned the ball over today, which is something we don't usually do."
 
The Anteaters (16-6, 6-4 Big West) were outrebounded, 36-31, and for only the second time this season, they committed more turnovers than their opponent (18-17). They also struggled offensively, shooting 32 percent, while the Gauchos finished with a 49 percent clip.
 
Sophomore Jordan Sanders had another big game, leading all players with 25 points and nine rebounds. She was one board shy of her second-straight double-double.
 
Senior Sabrina Engelstad added 10 points and four rebounds. Senior Andee Ritter also had seven points, and junior Brooke Bayman contributed six points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals.
 
UC Santa Barbara (6-18, 3-8 Big West) pulled ahead by seven before the 'Eaters went on a 10-1 run, capped by a Sanders jumper at the 1:32 mark, to take their first lead of the game at 12-10. UCI was able to stay out front, holding a 13-12 edge at the end of the first quarter.
 
UC Irvine kept the momentum in the second period, going on top 18-14 after Sanders completed a three-point play with 6:39 to go. UCSB then scored eight unanswered, six of which came at the free throw line, to go up, 22-18. The Gauchos extended that into a 19-2 run before Ritter knocked down a triple at the buzzer to close the gap to 33-23 at the break.
 
The Anteaters opened the third frame with a couple free throws from Sanders to make it an eight-point game. The two teams then traded points over the next couple minutes before UC Santa Barbara broke open a 49-32 lead with 2:40 remaining. The 'Eaters started to chip away, closing out the quarter on a 6-2 spurt to cut the deficit to 51-38.
 
UCI looked like it was ready to make another comeback in the fourth, scoring seven unanswered on a Bayman triple and four-straight points from Sanders. That brought the visitors within 10 (59-49) at the 5:27 mark, but it was the closest they would get as the Gauchos outscored the Anteaters, 12-3, down the stretch to secure the 71-52 victory.
 
Coco Miller and Danae Miller paced UC Santa Barbara with 21 and 20 points, respectively. The duo went a combined 12-for-18 from the floor and 12-of-12 at the foul line. Danae added five assists and four steals.
 
UC Irvine will stay on the road next week, heading to Hawai'i (Feb. 21), before returning home to host UC Riverside at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23.

NOTES
• UC Irvine was held to fewer than 60 points in back-to-back games for the first time this year.
• The Anteaters were whistled for a season-high 26 fouls.
• UCI committed more turnovers than its opponent for just the second time this season.
• Jordan Sanders recorded her 11th 20-point game, and fourth in Big West play.
• Sanders missed her second free throw attempt of the game, ending a streak of 22 consecutive foul shots made.
• Andee Ritter knocked down her first 3-pointer since draining a school-record eight vs. Cal Poly on Jan. 26.
• Ritter is now nine away from breaking the program's all-time career record of 198.