PULLMAN, Wash. – UC Santa Barbara fell 61-44 in their season opening game at Washington State on Friday night in the Beasley Coliseum.

Jasmine Ware led UCSB in three categories with nine points, seven rebounds, and two steals. Chaya Durr and Makala Roper both added six points each off the bench, while Kali Jones matched them with her six points in going 3-6 from the floor.

WSU edged UCSB in the rebounding category 50-41, scoring 18 points off their 27 offensive rebounds. The Gauchos had trouble holding on to the ball with 23 turnovers, as the Cougars were able to score 25 points of those miscues.

UCSB started the game strong in ending the first quarter on top 13-11. The Gauchos shot 45 percent in the period, while holding the Cougars to just three field goals. Ware opened the game with a jumper and later set up Coco Miller for a three-pointer, which sparked a 7-0 UCSB run. Jones picked up her opening score with an offensive put back and Roper went 2-2 from the free throw line to close out the run. Roper ended the night with a perfect 6-6 performance at the charity stripe.

Later in the quarter, Durr was subbed into the game and made an immediate impact with a pair of scores in her first two possessions. Finishing on the low blocks for both field goals, the sophomore's put back at the 2:02 mark gave Santa Barbara a 13-8 lead.

Three Washington State free throws cut UCSB's edge down to two points, but it also trigged a 14-2 run stretching into the second quarter.

Another 2-2 trip to the foul line from Roper represented the only Gaucho points during the sequence, as Cougar Borislava Hristova found her rhythm on offense with five points.

The Cougars also started to key in on scoring off turnovers, as they took five takeaways in for 15 points compared to just five points in the first quarter. By the halftime break, WSU took a 31-21 lead thanks to its 20 second quarter points.

The Gaucho defense was stingy in the third quarter in holding the Cougars to just a 23.5 shooting clip. However, UCSB was held to just one field goal in the period, as Washington State was able to maintain its double-digit lead at 43-28 entering the fourth quarter.

The teams combined for 21 attempts from the free throw line in the final period, as the Gauchos went 7-14. Ware netted five points in going 2-2 from the field, including a triple she hit from the top of the arc.

WSU hauled in eight offensive rebounds in that period alone, as they ended the night with 27 offensive boards overall. With those second chances, the Cougars often fed the ball into the paint to Ivana Kmetovska who finished the period scoring seven of her eight points.

The Gauchos will continue their season opening weekend on the road at Idaho this Sunday at 2 p.m. You can follow the game online via live stats or our audio broadcast.