IRVINE, Calif. – The UC Irvine women's basketball team continued to impress on the defensive end in a 59-53 Big West victory over UC Riverside Saturday afternoon at the Bren Events Center.
 
The Anteaters (7-6, 2-0 Big West) held their opponent to under 60 points for the third-straight game. Against the Highlanders, they finished with 13 steals and forced a season-high 25 turnovers.
 
The 'Eaters also pulled down 12 offensive rebounds, winning the battle in both second-chance points (11-4) and points off turnovers (25-10).
 
"We've really been working on ball pressure and containing," said sophomore guard Jayde Cadee. "We want to make people take shots that aren't comfortable for them. That's what we've been working on in scout and in practice, and I think it's been translating to the game really well."
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Chloe Webb and Jayde Cadee tied for the game high with 15 points each. Cadee went 5-for-10 from beyond the arc, and Webb added five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Sophia Locandro also had her second-straight double-figure scoring performance with 11 points to go along with four boards, two steals and two blocks.
 
After missing Thursday's game, Naomi Hunt made her presence felt in her return to the court with eight points and five rebounds. Déja Lee chipped in four points and three steals, while Nikki Tom contributed three points, four boards and two takeaways.
 
UCI shot 33% (19-57) from the field and 35% (9-26) from long distance. UCR finished with a 49% clip (21-43), but was only 2-for-8 from deep. Keilanei Cooper paced the Highlanders with 14 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: UC Irvine went up 4-2 on a Locandro layup, but an and-1 from Anna Blount gave UC Riverside its first lead at the 6:03 mark. Hunt responded with a 3-pointer to put UCI back on top, and after one more lead change, it was the Anteaters who closed on an 8-2 run, bookended by triples from Cadee and Hunt, to pull ahead, 18-13. The 'Eaters were active on the defensive end from the opening whistle, forcing nine turnovers in the first quarter.
 
The Highlanders (3-5, 0-2 Big West) scored the first six points of the second period before Tom and Cadee each connected from long distance to give UC Irvine a 24-19 advantage with 6:44 remaining in the half. UCR would cut the deficit to one, but buckets from Locandro and Hunt increased the Anteaters' cushion to five (30-25) at the break.
 
UC Riverside started the third frame with a 7-1 spurt to take a 32-31 lead, but the 'Eaters came right back with eight unanswered to go up, 39-32, at the 4:14 mark. The Highlanders kept it close, outscoring UCI, 9-3, over the final three minutes to make it a one-point game heading into the final quarter.
 
UCR kept the momentum to begin the fourth, taking its largest lead of the afternoon at 47-44 with 8:03 remaining. Locandro then got UC Irvine on the board and Lee followed with a couple free throws to put the home team on top for good. The Anteaters continued with an 8-0 rally, capped by four-straight points from Webb, to pull ahead, 52-47. The Highlanders would make one final push, coming within one, but a 3-pointer from Webb and some lockdown defense sealed the 59-53 win.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine has another quick turnaround as it heads to La Jolla for a 7 p.m. Big West showdown against UC San Diego on Tuesday, Jan. 11. Spectators are currently not allowed at RIMAC Arena but the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
 
NOTES
• After utilizing the same starters in its first 11 contests, UCI used a different starting lineup for the second game in a row.
• True freshman Nikki Tom made her first career start.
• The Anteaters improved to 5-1 when holding their opponent to under 60 points.
• Jayde Cadee moved into a tie for seventh in career 3-pointers made (113).
• Sophia Locandro, who was celebrating her 21st birthday, surpassed 700 career points (705).
• Chloe Webb also eclipsed the 500-point milestone (503).
• Déja Lee had her second consecutive outing with three steals.
• Kayla Williams, UCI's leader in points, assists and steals, missed her first game of the season.