HENDERSON, Nev. (March 8, 2023) – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Basketball team (20-11, 12-8 Big West) kicked off The Big West Championships in Henderson, Nevada as the fifth seed. In this quarterfinal round, the Gauchos took on the No. 4 UC Davis Aggies with the winner moving on to face Cal State Bakersfield in the semifinals on Friday. By the end of the game, the Gauchos were the ones who came out victorious, defeating UC Davis 70-36. 

FROM HEAD COACH BONNIE HENRICKSON
"I am so proud of our defensive intensity and effort to start the game knowing how explosive the Aggies can be offensively from the three-point line. We played with discipline and made some changes from our last game that impacted the quality of shots UC Davis was able to get off early in the game. Coach Nate Fripp did phenomenal on the scout which helped our players understand the importance of what we had to take away. Overall, a great team win." 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos came out ready to play, knowing that any game could be their last. And they were definitely not ready to go home. The first quarter performance led by Ila Lane and her 10 points gave UC Santa Barbara the 28-10 lead after 10 minutes.

The team wasn't done yet. They picked up their pace, only allowing the Aggies to score three points in the second quarter, which led to the 41-13 score at the half. UC Santa Barbara kept the Aggies to the lowest halftime score in The Big West Championships' history.

Once the Gauchos got back on the court for the third quarter, they did not let up the momentum. They kept up the offensive pressure while sticking with their plan on defense. The Gauchos still only allowed UC Davis to score only 13 points in the final two quarters while adding 29 to their side of the board as UC Santa Barbara secured the 70-36 win over the Aggies. 

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Alyssa Marin led the offense tonight for the Gauchos, putting up 15 points while going three-of-five from beyond the arc and assisting on three baskets. She also added to the defensive efforts, snatching three rebounds and two steals.
• Ila Lane was one of two Gauchos to finish with a double-double as she was second on the team in points with 14 while grabbing 10 boards.
• Alexis Tucker also earned a double-double in this game, earning 11 points and 10 rebounds in her final outing against the Aggies.
• The last Gaucho to finish the game with double-digit points was Anya Choice. She went four-of-six from the field, recording 12 points and two assists.
• Taylor Mole helped tremendously on defense, securing four rebounds while leading the team in steals with three.

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will have tomorrow off to prepare for taking on the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners in The Big West Semifinals. This game will take place at 12 p.m. at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. Fans can watch the game on ESPN+ with live stats also being available to follow along through The Big West. The Gauchos will also have a radio broadcast through ucsbgauchos.com.