RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team ran away with a 67-52 victory over UC Riverside in its Big West opener Thursday evening at SRC Arena.
 
The Anteaters (7-4, 1-0 Big West) got out to a slow start, giving up 20 points in a quarter for just the sixth time this season. After trailing by five through the first 10 minutes, the 'Eaters regrouped and outscored the Highlanders, 52-32, the rest of the way.
 
UCI won its Big West opener for the fourth year in a row and fifth time in head coach Tamara Inoue's eight seasons at the helm.
                               
"It feels good to get this win," Inoue said. "This is a tough conference. We don't overlook anyone and we knew UC Riverside was going to be tough. We just need to be ready for every game moving forward."
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Fifth-year senior Diaba Konate went 8-for-10 from the field for a season-high 18 points. She also had four assists and four steals.
 
"Diaba really understands what we need from her," Inoue added. "She figures out what her teammates need, and when she needs to score, she steps up and does that for us."
 
Juniors Nikki Tom and Déja Lee finished with 13 points each. Lee added five rebounds and three assists. Senior Nevaeh Parkinson chipped in seven points and a team-best seven rebounds, while senior Nevaeh Dean registered seven points, five boards and a career-high tying four assists.
 
Junior Amelia Scharpf contributed six points, six rebounds and two blocks, and graduate transfer Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba pulled down six boards.
 
UCI shot 41% from the field, while holding UC Riverside to 33%. The Anteaters also outrebounded the Highlanders, 43-33.
 
Jordan Webster paced UCR with a game-high 19 points and nine rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: It went back-and-forth over the first two minutes before UC Riverside (5-6, 0-1 Big West) scored five unanswered points to pull ahead, 9-4, at the 6:40 mark. Freshman Shirel Nahum responded with a triple, but the Highlanders stayed out front and took a 20-13 lead with 37 seconds on the clock. UC Irvine was able to close the gap to five as Parkinson knocked down a couple free throws before the end of the first quarter.
 
The Anteaters took the momentum after the short break with back-to-back steals and layups from Konate making it a one-point game less than a minute into the second period. UCR increased its cushion back to six, but the 'Eaters came right back with an 8-0 run to go up, 27-25, with 4:35 remaining. Dean started the rally with a triple, while Tom followed with five-straight points. The home team pulled even before a free throw from Scharpf and a Parkinson layup gave UCI a 30-27 advantage at the half.
 
UC Irvine never relinquished its lead in the second half as it started the third frame on a 10-4 spurt to go on top, 40-31, with 6:08 left. The Anteaters went up by as many as 12 on a Konate layup before closing out the quarter with a 48-38 edge.
 
UC Riverside started the fourth period with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to seven. That was the closest they would get, however, as UCI answered with a 7-0 spurt for a 55-41 margin. The Highlanders came within nine twice, but Tom knocked down a triple on both occasions to halt any hopes of a UCR comeback. Lee also hit a dagger three to give the 'Eaters their largest lead of the night at 67-49 with 21 seconds remaining.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine is back in the Bren Events Center this weekend as it hosts Cal State Bakersfield in its Big West home opener on Saturday, Dec. 30. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine held its opponent to 60 points or less for the seventh time this season.
• Since 2020-21, the Anteaters are 42-10 (.807) in Big West regular-season games.
• The 'Eaters have won six in a row against UC Riverside with their last loss in the series coming on Jan. 8, 2021.
• UCI improved to 6-0 when shooting 40% or better this season.
• Diaba Konate has reached double figures in scoring in each of the last three games.