IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball made a statement in their return to the Bren Events Center as they toppled Cal Poly, 60-38, in their Big West home opener Thursday evening.
 
The Anteaters were playing their first game since Dec. 19 and their first home game since Nov. 16. They improved to 8-4 overall and are now 2-0 in Big West play for the fifth-straight season.

The 'Eaters have been dominant early in conference, allowing just 39.0 points per outing and owning a +23.5 scoring margin through their first two Big West contests.
 
UCI never trailed against the Mustangs as Olivia Williams started the scoring with a 3-pointer. UC Irvine stayed out front until Cal Poly knotted it up at 8-all with just under five minutes to go in the first quarter. The home team took control from there, outscoring the Mustangs, 32-8, over the remainder of the first half for a 40-16 lead at intermission. The Anteaters' offense slowed down over the next two quarters, but their defense held strong for the 22-point win.
 
"We had set some goals and had some time off to really start to hone in and work on it," head coach Tamara Inoue said. "I don't think we've been where we want to be, and even today, we did some good things but can always get better on the defensive end. I'm proud of our effort and the way we fought through until the very end."
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Junior Hunter Hernandez led the 'Eaters with a game-high 18 points and a team-best seven rebounds. Junior Olivia Williams also finished in double figures with 10 points.
 
Sophomore Summah Hanson chipped in eight points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks, while junior Ines Gnahore added seven points and six boards. Senior Nevaeh Dean had six points, six rebounds and two blocks. Senior Déja Lee and sophomore Shirel Nahum tied for the team lead with four assists each. Lee also had four steals.
 
The Anteaters shot 39.7% (23-58) from the field and 90% (9-10) at the free throw line. They won the battle in rebounding (43-32), turnovers forced (19-15), steals (10-2), points in the paint (28-12), points off turnovers (20-15) and second chance points (15-7).
 
UCI limited Cal Poly to 25% (13-52) shooting. Annika Shah paced the Mustangs with 12 points and four assists. Mary Carter also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Dean knocked down a pair of triples in the first three minutes to give UC Irvine a 6-2 lead at the 7:09 mark. Cal Poly then used a 6-2 spurt to knot the score at 8-8, but the Anteaters proceeded on a 12-2 run over the final four-and-a-half minutes for a 20-10 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
 
UCI kept the momentum in the second period where it outscored the Mustangs, 20-6, to build a 24-point cushion at the half. Five different 'Eaters scored in the frame with Nikki Tom and Williams leading the way with five points each.
 
Cal Poly (6-7, 1-2 Big West) opened the third frame with a 3-pointer, but Williams answered with a corner three on the other end. UC Irvine continued on a 9-2 run to take its largest lead of the night at 49-21 with 4:45 remaining. The Mustangs responded with an 8-1 rally before Hernandez hit back-to-back jumpers to give the Anteaters a 54-29 cushion heading into the fourth.
 
It was a low-scoring affair over the final 10 minutes with Cal Poly holding a 9-6 advantage in the period. Haley Hernandez scored UCI's final four points for the 60-38 victory.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine heads to the Inland Empire on Saturday, Jan. 4, for a 4 p.m. Big West showdown at UC Riverside.
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine has won the last eight games in its all-time series with Cal Poly.
• During that stretch, the Anteaters have five double-digit victories and have outscored the Mustangs by 13.9 ppg.
• Déja Lee increased her career steals total to 177, moving her up to No. 5 in program history.
• In her third appearance of the season, Ines Gnahore had her first miss from the field, snapping a 7-for-7 streak.
• Haley Hernandez tallied her first points of the season in the final three minutes and has now scored all nine of her career points against Cal Poly.