All-Time Record vs. the Anteaters: 68-35

Last Meeting: Dec. 28, 2020: UC Irvine 69, at UCSB 56

 

After what has been an extremely unusual season, the Gauchos enter the 2021 Big West Tournament hoping that they're peaking at the right time, having won five of their last six games down the stretch. In order to have a shot at earning their 15th Big West Tournament championship, the Gauchos will have to get past UC Irvine in their first contest on Wednesday night. UCSB lost its pair of games to the Anteaters earlier in the season, but the team has greatly improved to become a legitimate dark horse. Freshman guard Alyssa Marin has found her footing in the team, evolving into a starting role in the final six games of the season. Danae Miller remains a reliable asset at the point, dishing out assists on the regular and keeping the ball safe with smart decisionmaking. Doris Jones and Taylor Mole continue to put up big numbers on offense, and Megan Anderson has found her three-point touch off the bench after missing out on the first 11 games of the season. The Gauchos are ready to make some noise in Las Vegas.

 

G19: Cal Poly 76, UCSB 46: The Mustangs outscored the Gauchos 28-14 in the paint and scored 19 points off turnovers to claim the victory, locking UCSB into the seventh seed at the Big West Tournament. Danae Miller scored 12 points for UCSB on five makes, while Taylor Mole scored nine and added seven rebounds. Anya Choice finished with four assists.

 

G20: UCSB 78, UCSB 68: Danae Miller scored 26 points on six makes, including two three-pointers, and benefitted from a perfect 12-of-12 performance at the free throw line. Taylor Mole added 15 points and Megan Anderson had 12 as UCSB improved to 7-13 on the year and 7-9 in Big West play in the regular season finale at the Mott Athletics Center.

 

Irvine had several selections to the Big West All-Conference lists, including Freshman of the Year Kayla Williams and Co-Coach of the Year Tamara Inoue, who led UCI to its second-straight top-two finish in the Big West and first No. 2 seed since 1998. Chloe Webb was also named to the All-Big West Honorable Mention list.

 

The Anteaters defeated the Gauchos in the two teams' previous contests this season, both times at the Thunderdome in Santa Barbara as part of their league-leading seven road wins. Williams led the Anteaters with 15 points per game in the two games and was followed closely behind by Chloe Webb, who scored 14.5 per contest. Webb and Sophia Locandro shared the lead in rebounding with 17 boards apiece combined over the two games, a big reason as to how Irvine enjoyed a +21 rebound margin between both games. Irvine dominated the third quarter, outscoring UCSB 39-23 over the weekend.

 

The Gauchos rank in several statistical categories nationwide, both individually and as a team. Danae Miller's 2.52 assist-to-turnover ratio is the best mark in the Big West Conference and it's also good for 26th among all NCAA Division-I athletes.  Taylor Mole's average of 8.1 defensive rebounds per game is good for 20th in the nation and first in the Big West. Mole also leads the conference in rebounds per game with 9.4 per matchup. As a team, UCSB leads the league in both three-pointers made (163) and attempted (468).

 

Earlier this season, the Gauchos converted on 27 triples in their two-game series against Cal State Fullerton on New Year's weekend, including 14 in the second game, just one short of the single-game record set at UC Irvine on Jan. 28, 2017. On Feb. 19, the Gauchos equalled that record against CSU Bakersfield, thanks in no small part to Taylor Mole's six threes, along with four from Megan Anderson, three from Alyssa Marin, and one each from Danae Miller and Doris Jones.

 

Doris Jones was named to the All-Big West Second Team and Taylor Mole was selected to the Honorable Mention list at the conclusion of the regular season.

 

Jones was fourth amongst all Big West players in scoring throughout the entire 2020-21 season and sixth in conference play. She had five 20+-point performances this season and has scored 10 or more points in 15 of her 20 games played this season to lead the team in scoring, and her 43.4% shooting in league games landed her at sixth among conference players. Jones carries a 6.4 rebounds per game average into the Big West Tournament, and her 46 assists and 12 blocks are second on the team in both categories.

 

Mole made an immediate impact by scoring double-digit point tallies in each of her first 10 games and posting five of her league-leading six double-doubles in that same span. She led the Big West in rebounds per game and defensive rebounds per game in conference play, and she ranks 20th in the NCAA in the latter category. Her most complete performance came at CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 19 when she scored 20 points, 18 of them via her six three-pointers, and picked up 14 boards while filling the stat sheet elsewhere with four assists, four blocks, two steals, and four fouls drawn.

 

The Australian ranked sixth in scoring in conference games and eighth in field goal percentage. Her blocked shots average of 1.56 per contest was good for second in the Big West and her 32.16 minutes per game average was ninth among all league players.