IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team came out on the wrong end of a seesaw battle with UC Santa Barbara, falling 65-61 Thursday evening at the Bren Events Center.
 
The Anteaters (4-12, 0-2 Big West) led for 26 minutes but were outscored, 27-18, in the fourth quarter.
 
The Gauchos (7-9, 2-1 Big West) opened the final frame on a 17-7 run to pull ahead, 55-50, with 4:25 remaining. The 'Eaters kept it close, trailing by three with 24.4 seconds on the clock. UCI had the ball with a chance to tie it up, but a deep 3-point attempt from senior Lauren Saiki rattled out.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Freshman Sophia Locandro led UC Irvine with 20 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. She went 8-for-12 from the field and 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Junior Haleigh Talbert added a career-high 16 points (5-10 FG). Senior Lauren Saiki also finished with a season-best 10 assists and four steals to go along with nine points.
 
Ila Lane paced UCSB with 20 points and 16 rebounds. She sparked the Gaucho comeback with 17 points in the fourth quarter.
 
The Anteaters shot 40% from the field, 39% from 3-point range and 80% at the free throw line. They forced UC Santa Barbara into 18 turnovers while committing a season-low 10, but were outrebounded, 42-24.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Both teams got out to a slow start as it was tied 5-5 midway through the first quarter. UC Irvine picked it up after the media timeout, using an 8-0 run to take a 13-5 lead. UC Santa Barbara closed the gap to three, but a jumper from junior Alexus Seaton with six seconds on the clock put the Anteaters up, 15-10.
 
The Gauchos took the momentum to start the second period with an 8-0 spurt of their own giving them an 18-15 advantage with 7:12 remaining. Talbert then ended a five minute scoring drought for the 'Eaters, while Locandro followed with her first career three. A Locandro layup with three minutes remaining put UCI on top, 23-18, and that score held at the half as neither team was able to get on the board again before the break.
 
UCSB cut the deficit to one early in the third, but UC Irvine did not relinquish the lead as it proceeded to go on a 14-2 run to pull ahead, 37-24 with 4:31 to play. Locandro fueled the rally with eight points during that stretch. The Gauchos then started to chip away, making it a three-point game with just over a minute to go. After trading points, Saiki knocked down a fall away jumper at the buzzer for a 43-38 lead.
 
UC Santa Barbara came out strong in the fourth, knotting the score at 43-43, but Seaton responded with a triple. The two teams went back-and-forth over the next couple minutes before UCSB's Lane scored seven-straight points to put the visitors up, 55-50, with 4:25 on the clock. It was their first lead since the second quarter.
 
The Anteaters kept it close with the 3-ball as Talbert, Locandro and freshman Jayde Cadee all connected from downtown over the final three minutes. Cadee's corner trey brought UCI within one (62-61) with 1:38 left to play, but the Gauchos were able to hold on for the 65-61 victory.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine is back on the road this weekend, traveling to San Luis Obispo for a 2 p.m. showdown at Cal Poly on Saturday, Jan. 18.
 
NOTES
• The Anteaters suffered their first home loss to UCSB in three years.
• Lauren Saiki recorded her third career double-figure assist game.
• Saiki passed Jenny Lee for No. 3 in school history with 339 career assists.
• Sophia Locandro took her first 3-point attempts of the season and made all three.
• Over the last three games, Locandro is averaging 16.0 points and 9.0 rebounds.
• Haleigh Talbert reached double digits in scoring for the third-straight outing.
• Talbert has also made a 3-pointer in seven consecutive games.