LONG BEACH, Calif. – Today, the UC Santa Barbara Women's Basketball team took on Long Beach State University for their first game of 2025-26 Big West play. The Gauchos came away with a 67-52 win to tip off their conference season on a high note and extend their win streak to six. 

FROM HEAD COACH RENEE JIMENEZ
"We executed offensively with great shooting and 19 assists on 23 field goals. But we've got to improve our rebounding and learn how to close out games if we want to reach our potential," Jimenez said. "Defensively, there were stretches where we lost focus, and those moments add up in tight games. The encouraging part is that everything we need to fix is within our control. If we stay committed to the little things like finishing possessions, communicating, and staying poised late, we'll put ourselves in position to continue to win consistently."

HOW IT HAPPENED
The first quarter was even throughout and ended in a 20-20 tie. The teams went tit-for-tat across the court, taking turns putting the ball in the basket. It was here that Jessica Grant began her three-pointer campaign, making two to keep the Gauchos on pace with the Beach. 

In the second, the Gauchos moved quickly. After a short-lived tie at 25-25, they embarked on a 12-0 run that featured two threes from Grant and no points from the Beach. 

The third quarter saw a 20 point lead by Santa Barbara at 53-33 and a final score of 60-43. Zoe Shaw nabbed six points while Grant made her final three of the game. Both teams went on seven-point runs during the fourth, but there were little additional points. In the end, the Gauchos took it 67-52 for their third consecutive win over Long Beach State. 

Grant led the Gauchos in points for the first time this season, depositing 15 from five three-pointers. Zoe Borter logged 13 and also had an impressive three-point shot showing, as the forward made three out of five attempts. Shaw went 80% from long-range, sinking four of five attempts. 

Olivia Bradley had a game-high eight rebounds, while Maddie Naro had a game-high eight assists. As a team, Santa Barbara drilled 14 of 28 three-point attempts to shoot 50% from the arc and four Gauchos scored double digits.

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will take on Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2:00 p.m. for their second road conference game.