SAN DIEGO, Calif. – A fourth quarter rally helped UC San Diego defeat the UC Santa Barbara women's basketball team in the first-ever meeting in the Big West between the two on Saturday afternoon at RIMAC Arena.

Junior forward Taylor Mole scored 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting and a perfect 6-of-6 from the line, while freshman guard Anya Choice added 18, but UCSB (2-7, 2-3 Big West) couldn't hold on to its lead in the fourth quarter as the Tritons (2-1, 2-1 Big West) earned their second Division-I win in program history in what was just their third game of the 2020-21 season.

The game was played at a fast pace from the opening tip, with UCSD's Emily Cangelosi and Tyla Turner eight points apiece and five from two other Tritons answered by 10 from Choice and 5 from Mole, along with a three-pointer from redshirt junior guard Bri Anugwom and a layup from junior guard Lauren Lee, giving UCSD a 21-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The hosts kept up the tempo in the second quarter with a 23-point showing, but the part that created separation from the Gauchos came in the final four minutes of the half, as UCSD went on an 11-3 run over the final minutes to enter halftime with a 44-36 lead.

UCSD maintained its lead over the first seven minutes of the third quarter, but the Gauchos snapped out of their funk to go on a big run to take the lead heading into the final frame.

The visitors drew a series of fouls in the final three minutes of the quarter to convert on eight free throws in nine attempts, with a layup from Jones as well as an and-one jumper in the paint from Mole helping the cause, giving the Gauchos the 56-53 lead off a 12-1 run.

UCSB carried the momentum into the fourth quarter, leading by as much as seven with 3:35 remaining off a Jones jumper. The Tritons chipped away at the lead through makes from Turner, Layla Ybarra-Harvey, and Sydney Brown before Aishah Brown drilled a jumper with 34 seconds left to cut the Gaucho lead to one.

Turner stole the ball from the Gauchos on the next possession and missed a jumper on the other end, but Sydney Brown was there to grab the board and draw a foul.

With 22 seconds left, she converted on the first free throw to tie the game and missed on the second, but again snagged the rebound. On the restart after a timeout, Turner hit a jumper outside the paint for what would ultimately be the game-winning shot with five seconds left as the Gauchos couldn't connect on a hail mary attempt as the buzzer sounded.

The high-octane game game featured 11 lead changes, and neither team went on a run of more than nine unanswered points.

"Our defensive intensity wasn't where it needed to be. We were slow to loose balls and gave up offensive rebounds. We've got to finish possessions and keep playing," said UCSB head coach Bonnie Henrickson.

"We made our run in the third quarter when we were aggressive in the attack with layups and free throws. If we can put together more of that, we'll do well, but we also just have to sustain that in the fourth quarter," added Henrickson.

The Gauchos' next scheduled games are against UC Davis on Friday, Jan. 29 and Saturday, Jan. 30. Both games will take place at the Thunderdome and will be broadcast on ESPN3. Live stats will be available on UCSBGauchos.com

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