IRVINE, Calif. - Late heroics from sophomores Chloe Webb and Jayde Cadee helped the UC Irvine women's basketball team erase a five-point deficit in the final minute of a thrilling 62-60 victory over UC Riverside Saturday evening at the Bren Events Center.
 
The Anteaters (5-5) were trailing, 60-55, after the Highlanders made their third 3-pointer of the fourth quarter, but Webb's layup quickly made it a one-possession game with 40 seconds remaining.
 
The 'Eaters got a stop on the other end, and proceeded to call a timeout with 11 ticks on the clock. They drew up a play for Cadee, and executed it perfectly, as she calmly knocked down an open look from the left wing to tie it up at 60-all.
 
UCR had a chance to reclaim the lead but was whistled for a travel, giving UCI an opportunity to set up one more play with 1.4 seconds to go. The home team had a little more magic left in them with senior Dani Guglielmo's inbound pass finding Webb under the bucket for the game-winning layup.
 

Let's take another look at Chloe Webb coming through with that game winner with less than one second left on the clock! ?? pic.twitter.com/umMJpGzrwB

— UCI Women's Basketball (@UCIwbb) January 10, 2021

 
"We showed some growth tonight," said head coach Tamara Inoue. "We've been catching leads then the problem is we start to get a little timid. They don't mean to do it, we're just so young at the guard positions that we need extra games and all these options. I think our players are doing a tremendous job of stepping up to the plate, and I'm proud of the effort from this team to pull this win out."

BY THE NUMBERS: Webb led UC Irvine with 14 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Sophia Locandro also had 13 points and five boards, while redshirt freshman Kayla Williams finished with 10 points, seven assists and two steals.
 
Freshman Caiyle Kaupu chipped in eight points and five rebounds, and Guglielmo added six points and two assists.
 
UCI won the rebounding battle, 35-28, and scored 21 points off 17 forced turnovers. The Anteaters shot 39% (20-52) from the field and 70% (19-27) from the free throw line.
 
The Highlanders, who shot 47% (22-47) overall, were paced by Keilanei Cooper, who had a game-high 16 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: UC Irvine and UC Riverside traded blows in the first three minutes, before the Anteaters broke a 4-4 deadlock with a 13-5 run, capped by a Kaupu layup for a 17-9 lead at the 1:34 mark. The 'Eaters would go up by 10 in the final minute, but the Highlanders got the final bucket to make it 21-13 at the end of the first quarter.
 
UCI stayed out front in the second period, taking its largest lead of the game at 29-17 on a Locandro jumper at the 4:01 mark. UCR came back with a 10-2 spurt that cut the deficit to four, but Guglielmo was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 0.7 seconds on the clock. She made all three free throws to put UC Irvine on top, 34-27, at the half.
 
It went back-and-forth again to start the third frame until a Williams three sparked a 9-1 rally that gave the Anteaters a 48-37 advantage at the 1:53 mark. The Highlanders then closed the gap to single digits as the 'Eaters went into the final quarter with a 49-40 cushion.
 
UC Riverside (2-5) took the momentum after the short break, opening the fourth with 10 unanswered points for its first lead (50-49) since the first minute of the game. Webb was quick to respond with a layup at the 6:13 mark, but UCR pulled back out front, 60-55, with one minute remaining. Another layup by Webb made it a three-point game, and started the late 7-0 push that gave UCI the 62-60 comeback win.
 

NOTES
• UC Irvine forced more than 15 turnovers for the ninth time in 10 games.
• UCI used its seventh different starting lineup.
• The Anteaters are now 32-15 (.680) at the Bren Events Center since the 2017-18 season.
• They have also won three of the last four in their all-time series with UC Riverside.
• Chloe Webb has led the team in scoring and rebounding in three-straight outings.
• Kayla Williams had her seventh performance with 10+ points, 2+ assists and 2+ steals.
• Williams has led the 'Eaters in assists in every game this year.
• Jayde Cadee has made a team-leading 17 3-pointers this season.
• She broke out of a shooting slump at just the right time, making the game-tying three after an 0-for-14 streak from beyond the arc.