TUCSON, Ariz. – The UC Irvine women's basketball team fell to Big 12 member Arizona, 75-61, Sunday afternoon at McKale Memorial Center.
 
The Anteaters (1-1) got out to a strong start as they never trailed and went up by as many as eight in the first quarter. UA then punched back in the second period with back-to-back threes giving the home team their first lead at the 9:26 mark. After a 5-0 'Eater run, the Wildcats reclaimed the advantage for good as they stayed out front over the final 28 minutes.
 
The teams were whistled for 55 fouls with a total of five players fouling out. They also combined to shoot 57 free throws. UCI went to the line more times, but the 'Cats held the advantage in efficiency, outshooting the Anteaters, 87.5% (21-24) to 69.7% (23-33) at the charity stripe.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Senior Hunter Hernandez led UC Irvine with a team-high 23 points to go along with a season-best eight rebounds.
 
Senior Jada Wynn added 12 points and nine boards. Wynn scored 10 of her points from the free throw line. Sophomores Daniela Falcon Hernandez (3-5 FG) and Naomy Zonzon-Huyghe (2-3 FG) had seven points each.
 
As a team, UCI shot 37.8% overall and was 4-of-17 from distance. The 'Eaters were outrebounded by a narrow 38-35 margin.
 
Mickayla Perdue played all 40 minutes for Arizona and finished with a game-high 31 points. Noelani Cornfield also had a double-double with 14 points, and 12 of the Wildcats' 16 assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: The two sides traded buckets over the first three minutes before UC Irvine used a 6-0 spurt, capped by a fastbreak layup from Zonzon-Huyghe, to pull ahead, 10-4, at the 2:58 mark. The Anteaters stayed out front and took their largest lead at 15-7 on a Hernandez 3-pointer with 1:06 on the clock. Arizona then knocked down three free throws in the final second.
 
The Wildcats kept the momentum, starting the second period with back-to-back threes. Falcon Hernandez answered with a triple and Zonzon-Huyghe had another layup as the 'Eaters reclaimed a 20-16 edge. UA then went on an 18-3 run to go up, 34-23, with 3:10 remaining. The 'Cats kept the lead and pulled ahead by 12 on Perdue's fourth three of the quarter, but Hernandez drilled her second to bring UCI within nine (41-32) at the half.
 
Arizona (2-0) increased its cushion to 21 at 55-34 with 6:11 to go in the third frame. UC Irvine then scored eight unanswered to close the gap to 13. The Wildcats ended up taking a 60-45 lead heading into the fourth.
 
UCI made another push early in the final quarter with a Hernandez jumper and a traditional three-point play from Nohe'alani Stores making it a 10-point game (60-50) at the 7:58 mark. The 'Cats then got back to the free throw line for two before knocking down a trey to rebuild a 15-point advantage. UA led by at least 13 the rest of the way.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine stays on the road, traveling to Idaho State for a 7 p.m. (MT)/6 p.m. (PT) game on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
 
NOTES
• Hunter Hernandez had her sixth career 20-point game.
• It was also Hernandez's 43rd career double-figure scoring game.
• Jada Wynn made a career-high 10 free throws.
• This was the first meeting between UC Irvine and Arizona since 1993.
• UA now leads the all-time series, 4-3.