IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team earned its first win of the season with a 91-78 overtime victory against Westmont College Wednesday evening at the Bren Events Center.
 
The Anteaters (1-2) saw an 11-point lead with just over two minutes left in regulation disappear as the Warriors, who are ranked No. 1 in the NAIA, rallied to tie it up at 69-69 with 0.5 seconds on the clock. The 'Eaters drew up one final play but were unable to get the shot off before the buzzer.
 
UCI regrouped before overtime where it accounted for the first five points and went on to outscore Westmont, 22-9. UCI got to the free throw line 20 times in the five-minute period.
 
"You can't worry about what happened earlier, you just have to bounce back and play one period at a time," said head coach Tamara Inoue. "You can easily hang your heads when someone comes back on you. It's tough to overcome that and keep playing, so credit to my team for really doing that tonight."
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Redshirt freshman Kayla Williams led five Anteaters in double figures with a season-high 24 points. She was 4-for-8 from the field and 14-of-20 at the free throw line. Williams also had a season-best seven assists.
 
Sophomore Chloe Webb registered her first double-double with 14 points (6-7 FG) and a career-best 15 rebounds. Senior Haleigh Talbert added 16 points and seven boards, while sophomore Melodie Kapinga finished with a career-high 12 points. Sophomore Jayde Cadee chipped in 10 points on three triples, two of which came early in overtime.
 
Freshman Victoria Baker dished out five assists, and senior Tahlia Garza corralled seven rebounds.
 
UCI shot a season-best 56% from the field and 40% from long distance, while holding Westmont to 34% overall and 26% from beyond the arc.

Stefanie Berberabe paced the Warriors with a game-high 25 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: UC Irvine got on the board first with a 3-pointer from Talbert, but Westmont answered with a three of its own on the other end. It continued to go back-and-forth with five lead changes before the Warriors scored seven unanswered to go up, 13-7, at the 4:09 mark. Talbert then ended a two-minute scoring drought with a couple of free throws to spark an 8-2 spurt that evened the score. Both teams connected from downtown before the first quarter buzzer to make it 18-all.
 
UCI shot 60% from the field and 50% from 3-point range in the opening 10 minutes.
 
The 'Eaters cooled off in the second period, but turned it up a notch defensively, holding Westmont to eight points on two field goals and three free throws. Despite the defensive effort, UC Irvine was unable to pull away as it shot 33% and took a narrow 27-26 lead into the break.
 
The seesaw battle continued through the first five minutes of the third frame. Williams then knocked down a triple to begin an 11-2 run that put the Anteaters on top, 48-39. Kapinga had UCI's final six points during that stretch. Westmont stayed right in it, however, closing the gap to 49-45 by the end of the quarter.
 
The 'Eaters took control in the fourth as a layup from Williams sandwiched in between a couple Talbert 3-pointers made it 57-45 with 7:19 remaining. UC Irvine held a comfortable advantage and led 67-56 after a Kapinga layup with 2:03 on the clock. The Warriors then mounted their comeback, outscoring UCI, 13-2, down the stretch. A layup by Berberabe with 0.5 seconds on the clock capped the rally, sending the game to overtime at 69-all.
 
UCI left no doubt in the extra period with Cadee starting the scoring with a corner three. The Anteaters proceeded to go on a 12-2 run for an 81-71 advantage at the 2:08 mark. This time around they didn't let Westmont back in it as they continued to get to the free throw line where they kept their double digit lead and emerged with the 91-78 victory.
 
UP NEXT: The Anteaters' next scheduled game is at San Diego State on Saturday, Dec. 19. Check back with ucirvinesports.com or follow UC Irvine women's basketball on Twitter (@uciwbb) to stay up-to-date on any schedule changes.
 

NOTES
• UC Irvine had five players with 10+ points for the first time since Nov. 7, 2018.
• It was the Anteaters' first overtime game since Dec. 16, 2017.
• Kayla Williams tied for third in UCI's single-game record books with 14 free throws made, while her 20 attempts from the line rank second.
• Williams is the first 'Eater this season with a 20-point performance.
• Chloe Webb is the first Anteater with 15 rebounds in a game since Shereen Sutherland in 2016.
• UC Irvine has used a different starting lineup in each of its first three games.
• Alexus Seaton, who missed the opener with an injury, made her first start of the year.