IRVINE, Calif. – The first quarter was the difference in UC Irvine women's basketball's 77-62 win over Black & Blue Rival Long Beach State Thursday evening at the Bren Events Center.
 
The Anteaters outscored the Beach, 32-12, in the first 10 minutes, tying the most points they have scored in a quarter this season. The two teams were then even in the second and third, while LBSU won the fourth to trim the final margin to 15.
 
UCI, which extended its win streak to five, improved to 22-4 overall and 13-2 in conference. The 'Eaters are now tied for first with UC San Diego in the Big West standings, while UC Davis is a half-game behind at 13-3. The Anteaters and Tritons will meet in La Jolla on Saturday.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Senior Hunter Hernandez scored a team-high 19 points, while adding four rebounds and two assists. Hernandez now sits among UCI's top-10 single-season scoring leaders, coming in at No. 8 with 476 points this year.
 
Sophomore Lauryn Madsen tied her career high for the fourth time with 15 points on five threes. She went 5-for-7 from beyond the arc and swiped four steals. Senior Jada Wynn added 13 points, a game-high six assists, and three steals.
 
Freshman Nohe'alani Stores finished with nine points, while junior Summah Hanson had six points and a season-best three blocks.
 
The Anteaters shot 45% (27-60) from the field, 37.5% (9-24) from deep, and 82.4% (14-17) at the free throw line. They forced the Beach into 21 turnovers and scored 22 points off those miscues. UC Irvine tied its season low with five turnovers committed, while finishing with 13 steals and 17 assists.
 
LBSU shot 40% (20-50) overall, 22.7% (5-22) from 3-point range, and went a perfect 17-of-17 at the charity stripe. They held a 38-26 advantage on the boards. JaQuoia Jones-Brown paced the Beach with 24 points, and Rosie Akot pulled down 14 rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Madsen got the scoring started with a 3-pointer on UC Irvine's first possession. The Anteaters kept rolling, going up 10-0 on a Stores layup at the 5:50 mark. Long Beach State then got on the board, but the 'Eaters proceeded to outscore the Beach, 22-7, over the next four-plus minutes to pull ahead, 32-9, with 40 seconds on the clock. LBSU was able to get an and-one down the stretch to make it a 20-point game.
 
Long Beach State (3-22, 2-13 Big West) scored the first four points of the second period before a layup from Wynn started a 15-8 run that put UCI on top, 47-24, with 2:31 remaining. UC Irvine stayed out front by 20 at the half, taking a 51-31 lead into the locker room.
 
It was scoreless through the first three minutes of the third frame until Madsen knocked down her fifth triple. The Beach answered with four free throws, but six quick points from Hernandez put the Anteaters up, 60-37, with 4:28 to play. The 'Eaters led by at least 20 the rest of the way and owned a 61-41 cushion heading into the fourth.
 
The two teams traded buckets to open the final quarter. A couple free throws from Hernandez followed by a steal and layup from Wynn then made it 67-34 with 7:22 left. LBSU put together a late rally with three consecutive treys closing the gap to 69-54 at the five-minute mark, but that was the closest the visitors would get as UCI went back up by 19 before closing out the 77-62 victory.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine makes its way to UC San Diego for a first-place battle Saturday, Feb. 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. at LionTree Arena.
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine set a single-season school record with its 13th home win.
• Jada Wynn has made at least one 3-pointer in 24 consecutive games.
• Wynn ranks third in single-season school history with 66 made threes.
• Lauryn Madsen also cracked the top-10 in 3-pointers as she is now tied for eighth with Deja Lee (56).
• Ten of the Anteaters' 13 Big West victories have been by double digits.
• The 'Eaters have led at the half 20 times this season, and in all 20 of those games they have not relinquished that lead.