BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team clinched the first Big West regular-season title in program history with a 59-48 win over CSU Bakersfield Saturday at Icardo Center.
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The Anteaters (24-5, 16-2 Big West), who were picked to finish sixth in the league's preseason coaches' poll, have earned the No. 1 seed in next week's Hercules Tires Big West Championships presented by The Hawaiian Islands. They will open the tournament in the quarterfinal round at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8, and will face the winner of the No. 8/9 seed first-round game.
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"The whole goal of me coming back to Orange County was to bring a championship to UCI," said seventh-year head coach
Tamara Inoue. "I can't thank my administration, coaches and players enough for believing in the vision that we set out from the beginning. Winning championships is one of the hardest things to accomplish as a player and as a coach. With our top three scorers out, I'm just so proud of this team for pulling together and truly playing for one another. This community has been outpouring with support and I couldn't be more proud to be part of the UCI family."
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BY THE NUMBERS: Junior
Diaba Konate led all players with 15 points (8-8 FT) and tied her season high with six rebounds. She also had three assists and two steals.
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Juniors
Nevaeh Dean and
Nevaeh Parkinson both finished with 11 points and seven boards, while graduate student
Nyagoa Gony pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.
Sophomore
Nikki Tom added eight points, five rebounds and two assists. Classmate
Amelia Scharpf contributed seven points.
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The 'Eaters shot just 32% from the field but were 22-of-26 at the free throw line. They also scored 14 points off 18 forced turnovers and held a 43-30 advantage on the glass.
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Kayla Morris was the lone Roadrunner in double figures with 10 points.
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HOW IT HAPPENED: The two teams went back-and-forth with three ties over the first four minutes. UC Irvine then created some separation, scoring seven unanswered points for a 12-6 lead at the 1:55 mark. The Anteaters extended that into a 10-2 run, capped by a Konate jumper at the buzzer, to go up 16-8 at the end of the first quarter.
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CSU Bakersfield (6-22, 3-17 Big West) took the momentum early in the second period with a 5-0 rally making it a three-point game. The Roadrunners kept it close and pulled within one (23-22) at the half.
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After trading buckets to start the third frame, Dean scored five-straight points and
Déja Lee made 1-of-2 at the line for a 30-24 advantage with 8:12 remaining. The 'Runners stayed in it and eventually used an 8-0 rally to pull ahead, 38-35, at the 3:33 mark. Scharpf then drained a clutch three and the 'Eaters locked down defensively as they outscored CSUB, 9-0, for a 44-38 cushion heading into the fourth.
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UCI got it done with defense and free throws in the final 10 minutes. The Anteaters were 11-of-13 at the stripe, while holding CSU Bakersfield to just three field goals and three free throws to seal the Big West regular-season clinching win.
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UP NEXT: UC Irvine will begin postseason play next Wednesday, March 8, in the quarterfinal round of the Hercules Tires Big West Championships presented by The Hawaiian Islands at The Dollar Loan Center. The Anteaters will face either the No. 8 or No. 9 seed at 12 p.m.
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NOTES
• UC Irvine won the program's first Big West regular-season title.
• UCI went 9-0 in regular-season conference road games.
• The Anteaters set school records in overall wins (24) and conference wins (16).
• The 'Eaters held their opponent to 60 points or less for the 23rd time in 29 games.
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Diaba Konate, who entered today's game ranked 10th in the nation in FT%, was a perfect 8-for-8 at the stripe.
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Nikki Tom extended her streak of games played with a 3-pointer made to 11.
• Laila El Behery, who is also a member of the UCI soccer team, pulled down a rebound in the final seconds.
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