IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team used a big fourth quarter to pull away for an 82-75 win over Cal State Fullerton Thursday evening at the Bren Events Center.
 
The Anteaters (8-16, 4-6 Big West) outscored the Titans, 30-17, over the final 10 minutes. They trailed by four early in the fourth before a 9-1 run gave them a lead they would not relinquish. CSF did tie it up at the 5:01 mark, but the 'Eaters quickly regained control with eight unanswered points putting the game out of reach.
 
"Credit to our team for the fourth-quarter push," UCI head coach Tamara Inoue said. "It's something we always had in our identity before, and are starting to find again now. Once we got in our rhythm, I thought we did a really good job."
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Freshman Sophia Locandro led UC Irvine with a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. She was 9-for-14 from the field and 5-of-6 at the free throw line. It was Locandro's team-leading fourth 20-point performance.
 
"Sophia is a tremendous player," Inoue said. "She's agile, and is such a smooth player both inside and outside, which makes her really hard to defend. Defensively, she blocks shots and gets after it."
 
Senior Lauren Saiki also finished with 18 points, seven assists and four boards. Junior Haleigh Talbert added 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while junior Alexus Seaton contributed 11 points and two blocks.
 
Taylor Turney paced Cal State Fullerton with 22 points.
 
The Anteaters shot 40% from the field, 25% from 3-point range and 74% from the free throw line. They outrebounded the Titans, 39-37, and held a 12-to-8 advantage in turnovers forced.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Saiki provided the offense early for UC Irvine with eight points in the first two-and-a-half minutes of the game. Her second triple of the night started a 9-2 run that gave the Anteaters a 14-7 lead with 4:04 remaining. Cal State Fullerton would chip away, closing the gap to 18-16 by the end of the first quarter.
 
The Titans (12-10, 4-5 Big West) opened the second period with a 6-0 spurt to take their first lead. The 'Eaters quickly tied it up at 22-all with a Locandro layup and a putback from junior Joy Akaegbu-Cleveland, but CSF eventually went back on top, 28-23, at the 5:20 mark. Talbert then knocked down a three and Seaton followed with a bucket to knot the score again. It continued to go back-and-forth down the stretch with Fullerton holding a narrow 34-33 edge at halftime.
 
Cal State Fullerton maintained the lead in the third frame until a 6-1 run put UCI on top, 44-43, with 5:23 remaining. That lead was short-lived as the Titans responded with a 10-2 rally to go up, 53-46, at the 1:54 mark. CSF stayed out front, carrying a 58-52 cushion into the final quarter.
 
Saiki quickly cut the deficit in half as she started the fourth period with a 3-pointer. UC Irvine continued on an 11-2 run to pull ahead, 64-60, with 5:48 to play. Junior Tahlia Garza converted a three-point play after a big offensive rebound to help shift the momentum.
 
Cal State Fullerton would tie it up after calling a timeout, but the Anteaters took control from there, scoring eight-straight points for a 72-64 lead at the three-minute mark. It turned into a free throw game over the final minutes with the 'Eaters emerging with the 82-75 victory.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine will now travel to UC Davis to face the Aggies for the second time in seven days. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15.
 
 
NOTES
• UCI has won five of the last six in its all-time series with Cal State Fullerton.
• UC irvine has scored 70+ points in four of its last five games.
• The Anteaters established a season high for points in a quarter with 30 in the fourth period.
• The 'Eaters are 3-0 when they have four players in double figures.
• Lauren Saiki now has 157 assists on the year, moving her up to No. 4 in single-season school history.
• Saiki has dished out 5+ helpers in 21 of 24 games played.
• Sophia Locandro recorded her fourth consecutive double-figure scoring game.
• Locandro has also finished with at least two blocks in each of the last four outings.
• Haleigh Talbert, a 5-foot-4 guard, is averaging 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in Big West play.