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UCI vs Gonzaga
Press Conferences: Practice Day |
Postgame
Quotes: Friday |
Saturday
NCAA First Round - Final Score: Gonzaga 75, UC Irvine 56
Ticket & Watch Party Info |
Broadcast Info
SPOKANE, Wash. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team is preparing for its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 29 years.
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The 13th-seeded Anteaters will face host and No. 4 seed Gonzaga at McCarthey Athletic Center on Saturday, March 23. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. with the game airing on ESPN2.
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"It's been a great journey so far, the NCAA has done a phenomenal job of taking care of our team," head coach
Tamara Inoue said in Friday's press conference. "It's been a long time (for our program), and the first time for me as a head coach, so we're just really thrilled to be part of this experience. And what better time for women's basketball than it is now."
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After a morning practice at the Bren Events Center, the 'Eaters hit the road, arriving in Spokane, Washington, on Thursday afternoon.
They got their first look at McCarthey Athletic Center on Friday with a 90-minute practice.Â
Déja Lee,
Nikki Tom and head coach
Tamara Inoue also spoke with media in a press conference before practice.
On Saturday, UC Irvine faced Gonzaga, which was ranked 16th in the AP Poll and 13th in the USA Today Coaches Poll, in front of a sold-out crowd of 6,000 at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Anteaters got out to a strong start, going up by 11 with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter. The Zags closed the gap to seven by the end of the period and took their first lead in the second. GU held a narrow five-point advantage at the half before outscoring UCI, 45-31, over the final 20 minutes.
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