IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball dropped a 69-65 overtime decision to UC San Diego Saturday afternoon at the Bren Events Center.
 
The Anteaters (17-8, 12-4 Big West), who saw their four-game win streak snapped, were handed just their second home loss of the season.
 
UCI trailed at the half, and for most of the third quarter, before closing out the period on an 8-0 run to take a three-point lead. The 'Eaters stayed out front in the fourth and went up, 59-53, on Déja Lee's fourth 3-pointer with 3:30 remaining in regulation.
 
The Tritons (11-16, 7-9 Big West) used a late rally to tie it up at 59-all with 15.7 seconds on the clock. The Anteaters were unable to get their final shot to fall as they went to overtime for the first time this season.
 
"We have to defend better," said head coach Tamara Inoue. "We've been doing a good job of rebounding lately, but we didn't do that today and we kind of just gave up some open shots."
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Junior Déja Lee finished with a game-high tying 18 points. Junior Nikki Tom also had 12 points, while graduate student Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba notched 10. Lee and Tom both added three steals.
 
Senior Diaba Konate closed out the game with eight points, five steals and a season-best nine assists. Junior Amelia Scharpf also had eight points and senior Nevaeh Parkinson contributed seven points and a team-high eight rebounds.
 
The 'Eaters shot 38% from the field, 24% from beyond the arc and 72% at the free throw line. They forced 23 turnovers and scored 21 points off those miscues, but were outrebounded 39-31 and lost the battle in second-chance points, 19-9.
 
UCSD finished the game shooting 45% overall and 36% from deep. Gracie Gallegos led the way with 18 points (5-8 FG).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: UC Irvine took an early 6-2 lead on a Lee 3-pointer at the 7:43 mark. After UC San Diego knocked down a couple free throws, the Anteaters went on a 9-2 run, capped by a three from Tom, to pull ahead, 15-6. The Tritons then scored the last four points of the first quarter to close the gap to five.
 
UCSD kept the momentum to start the second period, cutting the deficit to two with 6:10 remaining. The 'Eaters stayed out front and went back on top by six following an and-one by Sidi Baba with just over four minutes left in the half. UC San Diego then took its first lead of the game, using an 11-0 rally to go up, 30-25. Tom was fouled with 0.9 seconds on the clock and drained both free throws to bring the home team within three at the break.
 
The Tritons struck first in the third frame and a seesaw battle ensued as UCSD maintained its five-point advantage with 2:45 to go. UCI then reclaimed the lead at 47-44 after an 8-0 spurt to close out the quarter. Scharpf scored six of her eight points during that stretch.
 
UC San Diego quickly tied it up with a triple to start the fourth, but Lee answered with a corner three. The two sides continued to battle with the Anteaters eventually pulling ahead, 59-53, on Lee's fourth 3-pointer of the game with 3:30 remaining. UC Irvine then went scoreless the rest of the way, allowing the Tritons to tie it up on a Sumayah Sugapong jumper with 15.7 seconds left.
 
UCSD scored the first four points of the extra period and went up, 67-61, with 1:39 to go. The 'Eaters were able to trim the deficit to two following a three from Tom at the 1:10 mark, but UC San Diego held on for the 69-65 victory.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine is back at the Bren Events Center next Thursday, Feb. 29, when it plays host to CSUN at 6 p.m.
 
NOTES
• The Anteaters fell to second in The Big West standings, sitting one game back of league-leading Hawai'i.
• The 69 points allowed were tied for the most UC Irvine has given up this season.
• The 'Eaters have held their opponents to under 70 points in 59-straight games.
• Déja Lee has scored 9+ points in every Big West game this year and is averaging 14.0 ppg in conference play.
• Diaba Konate now has 62 steals on the year which ranks 10th in single-season school history.
• Konate is one takeaway shy of tying her own mark of 63 from the 2022-23 campaign.
• Nikki Tom has made 11 consecutive free throws and ranks first on the squad with an 89.8 FT%.