SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara fell in their first road contest of the season to the University of San Francisco on Saturday at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. Despite strong performances by Alyssa Marin and Anya Choice the Gauchos fell 59-37.

FROM HEAD COACH RENEE JIMENEZ
"That was an extremely physical game for us," said Jimenez. For 20 minutes we executed the game plan perfectly and I'm really proud of them for that. Unfortunately, San Francisco's physicality in the second half just wore us out and we couldn't sustain. I think you started to see a little bit of who and what we are going to bring defensively this year. Offensively we we have to be able to knock down open shots and finish at the rim."

HOW IT HAPPENED
San Francisco opened the game with a three-pointer but UC Santa Barbara quickly responded with an Anya Choice jumper, keeping the score close early on. The Dons managed to pull ahead with three successful three-pointers. However, UC Santa Barbara closed the gap towards the end of the quarter with a critical three by Jessica Grant and two free throws by Anya Choice, ending the quarter with a tight score of 13-12 in favor of San Francisco.

In the second quarter, UC Santa Barbara and the Dons both struggled shooting the ball, as the Gauchos scored just four points. Despite the struggles the Gauchos held the Dons to just nine points, keeping them in the game. UC Santa Barbara's Skylar Burke sank two free throws at 1:30, leveling the score at 16-16 temporarily. The Dons' closed the quarter on a 6-0 run and took a 22-16 lead into halftime.

After the break, UC Santa Barbara started strong with Alyssa Marin scoring a jumper to narrow the gap to 22-18. Shortly after, Skylar Burke contributed with a layup, bringing UC Santa Barbara even closer. However, the Dons responded by extending their lead by hitting consecutive free throws and and scoring a crucial three, pushing the score to 27-22. The quarter featured a series of turnovers and fouls, with San Francisco capitalizing on the opportunities, particularly through free throws, to maintain their advantage. Alyssa Marin made a late push for UC Santa Barbara with a three and a couple free throws, but the Dons secured a 41-33 lead by the end of the quarter.

In the final quarter of action San Francisco outscored UC Santa Barbara 18-4. The physicality of the Dons was too much for the Gauchos as they struggled offensively, making only one field goal throughout the quarter.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Alyssa Marin led the Gauchos in scoring with 16 points and showcasing her proficiency at the free-throw line going a perfect 6-for-6. The fifth-year senior also contributed defensively with two steals. 
• Anya Choice contributed nine points and secured three rebounds.

UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara will begin a four-game home stand on Thursday, Nov. 14 when they host the University of Nevada. The Gauchos and Wolf Pack will tipoff at 7 p.m. in The Thunderdome. For those unable to attend in person, the match will be streamed through ESPN+ with live stats available through ucsbgauchos.com.