NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team got out to a hot start, but was unable to maintain it through 40 minutes in a 68-58 loss to CSUN Wednesday evening at The Matadome.
 
The 'Eaters scored 25 points in the first and 21 in the third, but were held to six in both the second and fourth.
 
"We did a good job in the first quarter, but we got in a rut in the second, and they got it to (Channon) Fluker, who single-handedly brought them back," head coach Tamara Inoue said. "We did a good job of fighting back in the third quarter, but turnovers in the fourth hurt us. We don't normally have single-digit quarters. We have to figure out where the deficit is and why we stop attacking and moving the ball around."
 
Senior Andee Ritter led the way with 16 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists. She made four 3-pointers, bringing her career total to 196, just three away from breaking the program's all-time record. Ritter is also two takeaways shy of becoming the Anteaters' all-time steals leader.
 
Junior Lauren Saiki and senior Sabrina Engelstad finished with 10 points each. Sophomores Haleigh Talbert and Dani Guglielmo added seven points apiece, while Engelstad and Talbert tied for the team lead with five boards.
 
UCI (17-10, 7-8 Big West) shot 39.6 percent from the field, 43.5 percent (10-23) from 3-point range and 83.3 percent at the free throw line. They struggled in the rebounding department, however, losing the battle, 40-27. CSUN also scored 30 second-chance points on 21 offensive boards.
 
UC Irvine came out of the gates on fire, making 7-of-9 threes in the opening quarter. It did go back-and-forth early on with five lead changes before the 'Eaters closed on a 16-5 run for a 25-14 advantage. Guglielmo, Saiki and Ritter each knocked down a 3-pointer over the final two minutes. It was Ritter's third of the period.
 
CSUN (16-13, 10-5 Big West) regrouped during the short break as it scored 15-straight points to start the second, taking a 29-25 lead at the 5:10 mark. Sophomore Alexus Seaton then got the Anteaters back on the board with a layup, but the Matadors answered with a 7-1 spurt to pull ahead, 36-28. Talbert was able to drain a triple with 14 seconds left in the half to bring UCI within five, 36-31.
 
Saiki opened the third stanza with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two, but CSUN proceeded to reel off seven unanswered to go on top, 43-34. Engelstad then scored six of her 10 points in a one-minute span to help keep UC Irvine close. The Matadors eventually increased their cushion to 10 before the Anteaters responded with a 10-3 run, capped by a pair of free throws from Engelstad, to close the gap to 55-52. With five seconds on the clock, the home team added two more, going coast-to-coast for the layup.
 
The 'Eaters ran into their offensive struggles once again in the fourth quarter where they were outscored, 11-6. They came within three early in the period, but a four-plus minute scoring drought allowed CSUN to run away with the 68-58 win.

Two-time defending Big West Player of the Year Channon Fluker finished with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds. Meghann Henderson added 11 points and Eliza Matthews had 10. Hayley Tanabe dished out seven assists.
 
UC Irvine returns home for its regular-season finale on Saturday, March 9, hosting Long Beach State at 2 p.m. The Anteaters will recognize their two seniors, Andee Ritter and Sabrina Engelstad, prior to tip-off.
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine will be playing on the first day of the Big West Tournament (March 12) as either the No. 5 or 6 seed.
• UCI and CSUN split the regular-season series with both teams winning on their home court for the third-straight year.
• Andee Ritter had her first game with multiple threes since draining a school-record eight vs. Cal Poly (Jan. 26).
• Ritter needs two more to tie, and three to break, Kathy Lizarraga's 26-year old all-time record of 198.
• Ritter also moved up to No. 2 in program history with 187 career steals, just one back of the school record held by Megan Stafford (188).
• Ritter and Lauren Saiki are tied for seventh in single-game school history with 58 steals on the year.
• For the second game in a row, Haleigh Talbert, who stands at 5-foot-4, tied for the team lead in rebounds.