March 13, 2004

Final Stats

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Eight is great for the UC Santa Barbara women's basketball team, which captured its eighth consecutive Big West Conference Tournament title Saturday with a resounding 68-51 championship game victory over Idaho in the Anaheim Convention Center.

Individually, it was a great day for Gaucho senior center Lindsay Taylor, who poured in a game-high 25 points and became the school's new all-time leading scorer with 1,733 career points. Taylor earned her third straight Big West Tournament MVP award as UCSB improved its record to 25-6 entering next week's NCAA Tournament. Santa Barbara will host three other teams in the Thunderdome for NCAA tourney play beginning Saturday, March 20.

Taylor surpassed Kristi Rohr's old record of 1,720 with a nifty turn-around hook shot at the 4:57 mark of the first half, and finished her historic game having buried 11-of-15 shots. Junior forward Kristen Mann joined Taylor on the All-Tournament Team after scoring 19 and grabbing eight rebounds, while UCSB senior point guard April McDivitt dished off a game-high seven rebounds and committed just two turnovers. The Gauchos connected at a 54.7% field goal clip, marking the 12th time this season they have made over half their shots.

The Vandals (22-7) - who never led during Saturday's championship game - were paced by Heather Thoelke's 16 points and 15 from Emily Faurholt, the nation's leading scorer at nearly 26 points per game. She was held to her lowest total of the season. Thoelke and Faurholt made the Big West All-Tournament Team, along with UI freshman point guard Leilani Mitchell and Pacific senior forward Gillian 'd'Hondt.

The Gauchos will await the unveiling of the 64-team NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship field on Sunday, March 14. ESPN will announce the brackets in a one-hour special beginning at 2:00 p.m.