BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – UC Irvine women's basketball raced out to a 24-0 lead and never looked back in an 85-53 rout of Cal State Bakersfield Thursday evening at the Icardo Center.
 
The Anteaters were ready to go from the jump as they outscored the Roadrunners, 28-6, in the opening quarter. The 'Eaters shot 53% (8-15) from the floor, while holding CSUB without a field goal through the first 10 minutes. UCI kept its foot on the gas, running away for its fourth 30+ point win of the season, and third in Big West play.
 
UC Irvine improved to 18-4 overall and 9-2 in conference. The Anteaters moved into second place in the standings, sitting 1.5 games behind UC San Diego (11-1) and a half-game ahead of UC Davis and Cal State Fullerton, who are tied for third at 9-3.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Sophomore Lauryn Madsen and senior Jada Wynn tied for the team lead with 15 points each. Madsen went 5-for-9 from beyond the arc, while adding seven rebounds and three steals. Wynn also notched eight boards, three assists, and three steals.
 
Freshman Ameerah Grant went 4-for-5 from the field and 2-of-2 from distance for 14 points. Junior Shirel Nahum chipped in 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Senior Hunter Hernandez made it five Anteaters in double figures with 10 points.
 
The 'Eaters shot 45.9% (28-61) overall and 31.3% (10-32) from 3-point range. They outrebounded CSUB, 46-30, while scoring 27 points off 18 forced turnovers.
 
After going 0-for-10 in the first quarter, the Roadrunners finished the game with a 33.3 field goal percentage. Marley Langi registered a game-high 22 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: UC Irvine came out firing, scoring the first 24 points of the game. Madsen sparked the hot start with three of her five triples in the first six-and-a-half minutes. Cal State Bakersfield finally got on the board with a free throw at the 1:13 mark. The Roadrunners tacked on five more points at the charity stripe as the Anteaters held a 28-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
 
The 'Runners (7-15, 2-10 Big West) opened the scoring in the second period with their first field goal of the game, but Grant answered with a triple. CSUB eventually put together a mini 4-0 run to make it 33-14 with 5:24 remaining. UCI responded with a 12-2 rally that included back-to-back threes from Wynn and Madsen for a 29-point margin (45-16) at the half.   
 
UC Irvine started the third frame on a 10-0 spurt, capped by a Madsen triple, for its largest lead of the game at 55-16 with 7:31 to go. The Anteaters held steady the rest of the way with a 67-33 cushion heading into the fourth. The 'Eaters were up by more than 30 for the final 10 minutes. Grant (7) and Wynn (5) combined for 12 of UCI's 18 fourth-quarter points.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine returns to the Bren Events Center on Saturday, Feb. 7, for a 2 p.m. Big West showdown with UC Santa Barbara. It will be the Anteaters' Breast Cancer Awareness Game.
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine has held 14 of its 22 opponents to under 60 points.
• Offensively, the 'Eaters have scored 70+ points 13 times.
• UCI's 28 points in the first 10 minutes are tied for the third-most they have scored in a quarter this season.
• This was the Anteaters' fifth-straight regular-season series sweep over Cal State Bakersfield.
• UC Irvine now leads the all-time series, 15-13.
• Jada Wynn has made a 3-pointer in 20 consecutive games.
• Wynn entered UCI's single-season top-10 with her 54th triple.
• This was Lauryn Madsen's third game of the year with five 3-pointers made.
• Ameerah Grant notched her third double-figure scoring game and first since Dec. 16.