LONG BEACH, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara women's basketball team lost to Long Beach State 70-55 in Big West action on Saturday afternoon at Walter Pyramid.

A 20-point, 12-rebound double-double from junior guard Taylor Mole wasn't enough to get the Gauchos (2-11, 2-7 Big West) their first win since Jan. 2 as Long Beach State (11-1, 10-0 Big West) controlled the game from start to finish.

The Gauchos got out to a 6-3 lead on shots by junior guard Lauren Lee, Mole, and senior point guard Danae Miller, but the Beach picked things up from there. Patricia Chung and Justina King scored six points apiece in the hosts' ensuing 16-2 run that lasted until there was just under a minute to go in the first quarter. The final make of the period came from the Gauchos' Miller, who converted on a three-pointer after Lee grabbed an offensive rebound, to close the deficit to eight.

Long Beach State kept it up in the second quarter, outscoring the Gauchos 21-12 to extend their advantage to a 40-23 scoreline at the half. Jasmine Hardy went 4-of-4 with nine points for the Beach, Ma'Qhi Berry added five, and Justina King dished out five assists while the Gauchos' offense was fueled solely through Mole's seven points and freshman guard Anya Choice's five in the second frame.

UCSB whittled down the lead to 10 midway through the third quarter on the back of an 11-2 run that was punctuated by a Mole triple, but Long Beach managed to get the momentum back on its side thanks to a jumper and a three-point play by Kristyna Jeskeova late in the quarter. Her contributions, along with those of King and Berry helped the Beach take a 58-43 lead into the final period, which they rode to a 70-55 victory.

Next up for the Gauchos is a home series with the Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine next Friday and Saturday at the Thunderdome. Both games are set to begin at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN3. Live stats will be available on UCSBGauchos.com.

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