STOCKTON, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball closed out a 2-0 weekend at the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off with a 66-60 victory over host Pacific Saturday at Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
The Anteaters (4-2) were the only ones to go unbeaten in the four-team tournament. It was also their third-straight win.
 
"This was a good test for us and I thought the team responded really well," said head coach Tamara Inoue. "We knew playing Pacific on their home court as the second game of a back-to-back was going to be a big challenge. We knew they were going to make their runs on us so I'm really happy we were able to withstand it."
 
The 'Eaters led by as many as 12 in the fourth quarter and went up 59-48 with just under five minutes to go. The Tigers then made a late push as a 10-1 run closed the gap to 60-58. Diaba Konate responded with a clutch jumper and UCI went 4-for-4 at the free throw line in the final seconds to seal the win.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Junior Nikki Tom led UC Irvine with a season-high 15 points. She was 6-of-12 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.
 
Junior Amelia Scharpf, senior Nevaeh Dean and senior Diaba Konate all finished with nine points each. Konate also had three assists and two steals. Graduate transfer Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba chipped in eight points and five rebounds, while senior Nevaeh Parkinson registered seven points and five boards.
 
As a team, the Anteaters shot 45% from the field and 42% from distance. They scored 20 points off 22 forced turnovers.
 
Pacific (4-2) had three players reach double figures in scoring, led by Cecilia Holmberg with 15 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: It was a seesaw battle for most of the opening quarter with five ties and two lead changes. After Pacific knotted the score at 11-all, Sidi Baba and Dean answered with a couple layups to give UC Irvine a 15-11 advantage after the first 10 minutes.
 
The Anteaters started the second period on an 11-4 run, capped by a Sidi Baba layup, to pull ahead, 26-15, with 2:42 remaining. The Tigers then scored five unanswered, but Tom closed out the half with a pair of triples in the final 40 seconds to increase UCI's cushion to 32-21 at the break.
 
The two teams traded points over the first few minutes of the third frame. Pacific then used a 7-2 spurt to cut the deficit to 38-35 at the 4:45 mark. The 'Eaters would not break, however, as Scharpf quickly responded with a trey to spark a 7-0 rally that made it 45-35 with 2:53 to go. UC Irvine stayed out front the rest of the way, taking a 52-43 lead at the end of the quarter.
 
The Anteaters went up by as many as 12 and led 59-48 following a Tom jumper at the 5:56 mark. Pacific made it interesting with a 10-1 rally closing the gap to 60-58 with 2:40 to go. Konate then came up clutch down the stretch starting with a jumper to make it a four-point game. The Tigers came back within two on their next possession, but Konate answered again, knocking down a couple free throws with 11.5 seconds on the clock. The 'Eaters got a stop on the other end and Sidi Baba sealed the 66-60 victory with two more free throws.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine stays on the road next week, traveling to the Lone Star State for a Wednesday (Nov. 29) showdown at Texas Tech.
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine handed Pacific its first home loss of the season.
• UCI has given up fewer than 70 points in 40 consecutive outings.
• The Anteaters have forced 20+ turnovers in four of their six contests.
• Nikki Tom had her third-straight double-figure scoring game.
• Tom has also had multiple steals on five occasions this year.