LONG BEACH, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball saw a late lead slip away but came storming back in overtime for an 86-76 win against Long Beach State Saturday at the Walter Pyramid.
 
The Anteaters (19-8, 14-4 Big West) held a five-point advantage with just under two minutes remaining in regulation when the Beach went on a 7-0 run to go up, 69-67. After both sides made 1-of-2 at the free throw line, Déja Lee drove to the basket for the game-tying layup with seven seconds on the clock.
 
Nikki Tom set the tone in the extra period, drilling two of her three triples in the first couple minutes to put the 'Eaters on top, 78-72. UCI stayed out front by at least three the rest of the way.  
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Junior Déja Lee poured in a career-high 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including a 5-for-6 performance from beyond the arc. Lee also had four rebounds, five assists and four steals.
 
Graduate student Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba registered her second-straight double-double with 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
 
Junior Nikki Tom added 11 points, while senior Diaba Konate finished with seven points and five assists. Senior Nevaeh Dean also pulled down seven boards.
 
The Anteaters shot 42% (28-66) from the floor and 53% (8-15) from distance. They won the battle in rebounding (44-36), turnovers forced (19-14) and steals (10-6).
 
Sydney Woodley paced LBSU with 21 points and nine rebounds. The Beach shot 43% overall, and was also 8-of-15 from 3-point range.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: It was a seesaw battle in the first quarter with four ties and four lead changes. UC Irvine held the largest advantage at three, going up 5-2 on a Lee 3-pointer at the 7:31 mark. After trading buckets over the next few minutes, Long Beach State (12-16, 7-11 Big West) knotted the score at 9-all. The two sides continued to go back-and-forth with the Beach holding a 16-15 edge at the end of the period.
 
The Anteaters opened the second frame with a 5-0 run, capped by a triple from Tom, to pull ahead, 20-16, with 7:14 remaining. LBSU closed the gap to one before a 6-0 spurt gave UCI a 29-22 cushion at the 3:40 mark. The 'Eaters went scoreless the rest of the way but still carried a 29-26 lead into the break.
 
In the third quarter, UC Irvine took its largest lead of the game at 42-31 following an 8-0 run that ended with another three from Lee at the 4:18 mark. Long Beach State responded with an 11-3 spurt to trim the Anteaters' double-digit margin down to three before Amelia Scharpf knocked down a jumper right before the buzzer to make it 47-42.
 
Scharpf opened the fourth the same way she ended the third as she drained a jumper to make it a seven-point game. The Beach then reeled off seven unanswered points to pull even at 49-49. Lee responded with a 3-pointer and the 'Eaters stayed out front over the next seven minutes.
 
UCI was up 67-62 with 1:47 to go when a 7-0 LBSU rally gave the home team their first lead since the end of the opening quarter. Long Beach State maintained a late two-point edge but Lee came up clutch with a driving layup to tie the score at 70-70 with seven seconds on the clock. UC Irvine didn't allow the Beach to get a shot off on its final possession, sending the game to overtime.
 
Tom took charge to start the extra period, making two 3-pointers in the first 1:45 to put the Anteaters on top, 78-72. The 'Eaters rode the momentum to the 86-76 victory.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine closes out the regular season with two games next week. The Anteaters will travel to Cal Poly on Thursday, March 7, before returning home to host Cal State Fullerton on Senior Day on Saturday, March 9.
 
NOTES
• UCI is second in The Big West standings and maintained its two-game lead over Cal Poly.
• The Anteaters set a season high in scoring with their first 80-point performance since Dec. 14, 2022.
• UC Irvine gave up 70+ points for the first time since March 11, 2022, snapping a 60-game streak.
• The 'Eaters had two players score 20+ points in a game for the first time since Feb. 5, 2022.
• Déja Lee had her second-straight 20-point effort, and sixth of the season.
• Lee surpassed 700 career points.
• Lee's four steals give her 66 on the year, which ranks eighth in single-season school history.
• Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba had her team-leading fourth double-double.
• Nikki Tom missed consecutive free throws for the first time this season.
• Tom is still tops on the squad with an 86.8 free throw percentage.