Thursday, January 1
Irvine, Calif.
2:00 PM
UC Irvine
12-2,3-0Big West
82
vs
63
Cal State Bakersfield
5-8,0-3Big West
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSU Bakersfield | 14 | 14 | 13 | 22 | 63 |
| UC Irvine | 16 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 82 |
UCI Rings in New Year with 82-63 Victory over Bakersfield
January 01, 2026 | Women's Basketball
IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine women's basketball kicked off 2026 with a resounding 82-63 win over Cal State Bakersfield Thursday at the Bren Events Center.
The Anteaters (12-2, 3-0 Big West) extended their school-record win streak to 11 games and remained undefeated at home where they are 6-0.
UCI was in the driver's seat for most of the afternoon as it led for nearly 39 minutes. The Roadrunners tried to rally in the fourth quarter, cutting a 20-point deficit down to 11, but the 'Eaters finished strong for the 19-point victory.
Seniors Hunter Hernandez (27) and Jada Wynn (25) led the offense as they combined for 52 points.
"The 27 and 25 doesn't really tell the story of the game," head coach Tamara Inoue said. "I thought we did a good job sharing the ball and getting the right shots, but right now, we're still figuring it out; we're just trying to fit the pieces in correctly. I am proud of them for pulling this one out. The fourth quarter put a little damper on it, but I thought we did a really good job in the first three quarters."
BY THE NUMBERS: Hunter Hernandez recorded her second double-double of the season with 27 points and 11 rebounds. She also dished out a game-high tying four assists. Hernandez went 8-for-16 from the field and 9-of-10 at the free throw line.
Jada Wynn finished with a career-high 25 points on a 7-of-14 shooting performance. She was also 4-for-9 from beyond the arc and 7-of-8 at the charity stripe.
Junior Shirel Nahum chipped in eight points, five boards, three assists, and three steals. Freshman Nohe'alani Stores added six points, while freshman Ameerah Grant and sophomore Daniela Falcon Hernandez had five points each. It was Falcon Hernandez's first appearance since Nov. 22.
UCI shot 42.9% overall, 36% from distance, and 89.3% at the foul line. The 'Eaters won the battle in rebounding (36-34), assists (17-11), turnovers forced (17-11), points off turnovers (21-8), and points in the paint (22-16).
CSUB shot 35.6% from the floor and made a season-high tying nine 3-pointers. Crishawn Coleman paced the Roadrunners with 29 points and 11 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED: UC Irvine scored the first five points of the game and proceeded to go up, 9-2, on a couple free throws from Hernandez at the 7:01 mark. Cal State Bakersfield (5-8, 0-3 Big West) then used a 6-0 spurt to close the gap to one. Hernandez knocked down a jumper to end the rally and a three-minute UCI scoring drought, but the Roadrunners made four-straight free throws to take their first lead at 12-11. It proceeded to go back-and-forth until Wynn closed out the quarter with a 3-pointer to give the Anteaters a 16-14 edge.
The two teams traded points over the first two minutes of the second period before the 'Eaters went on a 7-0 run to pull ahead, 27-18, with 5:42 remaining. The 'Runners responded with six unanswered to cut the deficit to 27-24. That was the closest they would get as UC Irvine punched right back with a 7-0 rally capped by a Stores layup for a double-digit advantage (34-24) with 2:19 to go. CSUB stayed within striking distance with UCI holding a 36-28 lead at the half.
The Anteaters took control in the third frame, outscoring Cal State Bakersfield, 23-13. Wynn set the tone with a triple in the first minute and Hernandez knocked down a jumper before the Roadrunners got on the board with a free throw. The 'Eaters kept rolling with an 11-4 run that was bookended by 3-pointers from Nahum and Grant to make it 52-33 at the 3:15 mark. The 'Runners got an and-1 followed by a three, but Hernandez countered with five points to put UCI on top, 59-41, heading into the fourth.
UC Irvine increased its cushion to 20 to open the final quarter, but CSUB made a late push that ended with back-to-back treys to pull within 11 at 74-63 with three minutes on the clock. Nahum then made a few clutch free throws, while Falcon Hernandez scored all five of her points in the final two minutes for the 82-63 victory.
UP NEXT: UC Irvine is back in the Bren Events Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, for a 2 p.m. showdown with fellow Big West unbeaten Cal State Fullerton.
NOTES
• Hunter Hernandez has scored 25+ points in four of her last five outings.
• In three Big West games, Hernandez is averaging 24.7 points and 7.7 rebounds.
• Jada Wynn has knocked down a 3-pointer in 12 consecutive games.
• This was Wynn's third 20-point performance of the season.
• The Anteaters have scored 70+ points in their last seven games and 80+ in their last three.
• UCI won its fifth in a row against Cal State Bakersfield and now leads the all-time series, 14-13.
• The 'Eaters are 12-0 when leading at halftime.
• UCI has won 10-straight home games dating back to last season.
The Anteaters (12-2, 3-0 Big West) extended their school-record win streak to 11 games and remained undefeated at home where they are 6-0.
UCI was in the driver's seat for most of the afternoon as it led for nearly 39 minutes. The Roadrunners tried to rally in the fourth quarter, cutting a 20-point deficit down to 11, but the 'Eaters finished strong for the 19-point victory.
Seniors Hunter Hernandez (27) and Jada Wynn (25) led the offense as they combined for 52 points.
"The 27 and 25 doesn't really tell the story of the game," head coach Tamara Inoue said. "I thought we did a good job sharing the ball and getting the right shots, but right now, we're still figuring it out; we're just trying to fit the pieces in correctly. I am proud of them for pulling this one out. The fourth quarter put a little damper on it, but I thought we did a really good job in the first three quarters."
BY THE NUMBERS: Hunter Hernandez recorded her second double-double of the season with 27 points and 11 rebounds. She also dished out a game-high tying four assists. Hernandez went 8-for-16 from the field and 9-of-10 at the free throw line.
Jada Wynn finished with a career-high 25 points on a 7-of-14 shooting performance. She was also 4-for-9 from beyond the arc and 7-of-8 at the charity stripe.
Junior Shirel Nahum chipped in eight points, five boards, three assists, and three steals. Freshman Nohe'alani Stores added six points, while freshman Ameerah Grant and sophomore Daniela Falcon Hernandez had five points each. It was Falcon Hernandez's first appearance since Nov. 22.
UCI shot 42.9% overall, 36% from distance, and 89.3% at the foul line. The 'Eaters won the battle in rebounding (36-34), assists (17-11), turnovers forced (17-11), points off turnovers (21-8), and points in the paint (22-16).
CSUB shot 35.6% from the floor and made a season-high tying nine 3-pointers. Crishawn Coleman paced the Roadrunners with 29 points and 11 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED: UC Irvine scored the first five points of the game and proceeded to go up, 9-2, on a couple free throws from Hernandez at the 7:01 mark. Cal State Bakersfield (5-8, 0-3 Big West) then used a 6-0 spurt to close the gap to one. Hernandez knocked down a jumper to end the rally and a three-minute UCI scoring drought, but the Roadrunners made four-straight free throws to take their first lead at 12-11. It proceeded to go back-and-forth until Wynn closed out the quarter with a 3-pointer to give the Anteaters a 16-14 edge.
The two teams traded points over the first two minutes of the second period before the 'Eaters went on a 7-0 run to pull ahead, 27-18, with 5:42 remaining. The 'Runners responded with six unanswered to cut the deficit to 27-24. That was the closest they would get as UC Irvine punched right back with a 7-0 rally capped by a Stores layup for a double-digit advantage (34-24) with 2:19 to go. CSUB stayed within striking distance with UCI holding a 36-28 lead at the half.
The Anteaters took control in the third frame, outscoring Cal State Bakersfield, 23-13. Wynn set the tone with a triple in the first minute and Hernandez knocked down a jumper before the Roadrunners got on the board with a free throw. The 'Eaters kept rolling with an 11-4 run that was bookended by 3-pointers from Nahum and Grant to make it 52-33 at the 3:15 mark. The 'Runners got an and-1 followed by a three, but Hernandez countered with five points to put UCI on top, 59-41, heading into the fourth.
UC Irvine increased its cushion to 20 to open the final quarter, but CSUB made a late push that ended with back-to-back treys to pull within 11 at 74-63 with three minutes on the clock. Nahum then made a few clutch free throws, while Falcon Hernandez scored all five of her points in the final two minutes for the 82-63 victory.
UP NEXT: UC Irvine is back in the Bren Events Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, for a 2 p.m. showdown with fellow Big West unbeaten Cal State Fullerton.
NOTES
• Hunter Hernandez has scored 25+ points in four of her last five outings.
• In three Big West games, Hernandez is averaging 24.7 points and 7.7 rebounds.
• Jada Wynn has knocked down a 3-pointer in 12 consecutive games.
• This was Wynn's third 20-point performance of the season.
• The Anteaters have scored 70+ points in their last seven games and 80+ in their last three.
• UCI won its fifth in a row against Cal State Bakersfield and now leads the all-time series, 14-13.
• The 'Eaters are 12-0 when leading at halftime.
• UCI has won 10-straight home games dating back to last season.
Team Stats
CSUB
Irvine
FG%
.356
.429
3FG%
.333
.360
FT%
.750
.893
RB
34
36
TO
17
11
STL
8
8
Game Leaders
Pts
27
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
9
Pts
25
FGM
7
3FGM
4
FTM
7
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Point Guard
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's BasketballPoint Guard
/ Women's BasketballForward
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's BasketballWednesday, March 25
Tuesday, March 24
Wednesday, February 18
Wednesday, February 11
