Box Score SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – In its Big West opener Thursday night at Cal Poly, the UC Santa Barbara women's basketball team won its fifth straight game while holding the Mustangs to their second-lowest scoring total of the year, 63-42.
Senior forward Taylor Mole led all players with 19 points (7-14 FG) and nine rebounds, both season-highs. Off the bench, senior Megan Anderson added 14 points on 5-of-7 (71.4%) from the field.
Undefeated since late November, the Gauchos have tied their longest win streak in the last five years and own the second-best record in the Big West at 7-3 overall.
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Half
- It was a sluggish start for both offenses, but a deep catch-and-shoot three by junior point guard Johnni Gonzalez doubled UCSB's advantage to end the first quarter up 13-7.
- The Gauchos opened the second with two more threes from Mole and Anderson to take their first double-digit lead 19-9 at the 8:05 mark.
- Several minutes later, Mole took a perfect give-and-go dime from senior guard Lauren Lee and converted a tough left-handed and-1 to put the Gauchos up 24-10. Mole's final jumper of the half gave UCSB a 28-18 edge heading into halftime.
2nd Half
- A 10-2 Gaucho spurt out of the break was answered by a 16-2 Cal Poly run, as the Mustangs pulled within four points 40-36 with 1:51 to go in the third.
- UCSB kept its distance, later scoring 13 unanswered in the fourth including two dagger threes from Mole to go up 61-40 and put the game to bed.
NOTABLE
- Accounting for more than half of UCSB's points, Mole and Anderson shot a combined 12-of-21 (57.1%) overall and 6-of-9 (66.7%) from three-point range.
- Sophomore guard Anya Choice put in a season-high nine points, tying Gonzalez for the Gauchos' third-highest point total.
- Santa Barbara had just 13 turnovers and enjoyed a 50-37 advantage in rebounds.
- This marks the third win of over 20 points in the Gauchos' last four efforts. During their current win streak, they have outscored opponents by an average of 31.4 points.
NEXT UP
- UCSB will no longer be traveling to face CSU Bakersfield this Saturday, Jan. 8. It is the third out of the Gauchos' first four Big West games to be canceled.
