HENDERSON, Nev. (March 10, 2023) – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Basketball team (21-11, 12-8 Big West) arrived at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada ready to take on the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners. The Gauchos were ready for the hefty task in front of them, and it showed in the final score as UC Santa Barbara defeated Cal State Bakersfield 75-66 to move onto The Big West Championships. 

FROM HEAD COACH BONNIE HENRICKSON
"I am so proud of our efforts today. We had a great start in the first half and answered on several occasions when Bakersfield went on runs, especially in the fourth quarter. Now, we're excited to play in the championship game tomorrow." 

HOW IT HAPPENED
As many fans expected, this was a gritty game between two tough teams vying for a spot in the championship game. It showed in the way they played with the Gauchos only being up 22-17 at the end of the first quarter. Once the second quarter began, UC Santa Barbara made a push for the lead. The Gauchos scored five straight points to give them a comfortable lead and a gap the Roadrunners couldn't close. By the time the second quarter was over, UC Santa Barbara had the 36-25 lead. 

Once both teams returned to the court for the third quarter, the Roadrunners picked up the pace. They closed the gap the Gauchos built in the first half of play, tying the score with less than a minute left in the third. Neither team was able to get off a shot from there, leaving just two points between the Gauchos and the Roadrunners heading into the final quarter of play.

Once the fourth quarter began, the Gauchos were done messing around. Alexis Whitfield made back-to-back baskets that lit this team up as they grew their lead to 12 halfway through the quarter. Even with a last-minute push from the Roadrunners, it wasn't enough to keep them from winning. UC Santa Barbara defeated Cal State Bakersfield 75-66 to move on to the Big West Championship game tomorrow afternoon.  

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Alexis Tucker was one-point shy of a new career-best, putting up 28 points in this game with 19 coming in the first half alone. She played all 40 minutes, grabbing seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.
• Ila Lane also earned double-digit points in today's game, registering 12. She also snagged three steals while crashing the boards for seven rebounds.
• Anya Choice and Callie Cooper contributed heavily to the team's offensive and defensive efforts. They both finished the game with nine points each while also grabbing four rebounds apiece.

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will play in The Big West Championship game on Saturday, March 11 at 3 p.m. at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available through The Big West. UC Santa Barbara will also provide a radio stream through ucsbgauchos.com.