HONOLULU — The UC Santa Barbara Women's Basketball team (13-10, 7-6 Big West) saw their three-game win streak come to an end on Saturday at Big West leaders Hawai'i, falling to the Rainbow Wahine (17-6, 11-2 Big West), 65-58, despite a 20-point outing from Skylar Burke. The junior guard finished a rebound shy of a double-double as well, grabbing nine boards.
 
FROM HEAD COACH RENEE JIMENEZ
"I thought we started the game the way we wanted to," Jimenez said. "Our defense the first quarter really allowed us to play free offensively and we really need to learn from that. We really need to grow from this game. Once we believe we are worthy of winning, great things are going to happen for this team. They battled till the end."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos came out of the gates hot on Saturday, having the best first quarter that any team has had against Hawai'i this season. After their hosts scored the first basket of the game, Santa Barbara went on an 11-0 run powered by three-pointers from Zoe Borter, Alyssa Marin and Burke. Two more Borter baskets, of the two-point variety this time, made it a 13-5 Gaucho lead at the media timeout. Santa Barbara stayed hot, with Jessica Grant hitting what was Santa Barbara's fourth straight three-pointer and Marin adding another bucket to kick-start what was an 8-0 Gaucho run after the timeout. After Olivia Bradley hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the first quarter, Santa Barbara led, 26-7.
 
The Gauchos had shot a remarkable 58.8% from the floor in the first quarter while Hawai'i had managed just 12.5%, and those trends were not going to last the whole game. Still, Santa Barbara stayed in front throughout the second quarter. The Rainbow Wahine started the period the hotter of the two teams, cutting their deficit to just eight points, but then Laurel Rockwood and Burke combined to put the Gauchos back up by 12. Late in the quarter, Cayla Williams made a three-pointer at the same time that Marin was fouled off the ball, giving Santa Barbara the three points and — since Hawai'i had already committed five fouls — sending Marin to the line for two free throws. At the end of the play, the Gauchos' lead was 13. By halftime, that lead was 11 points, 36-25.
 
The game turned against Santa Barbara in the third quarter, which the Rainbow Wahine started as red-hot as the Gauchos had started the first. A 15-2 run over the first three minutes and change, during which Hawai'i missed just one field goal, put the hosts in front for the first time since they scored the game's first basket. Of course, Santa Barbara did not give up the fight; Grant took the lead right back, 41-40, with a deep three-pointer the possession after Hawai'i had gone in front. Santa Barbara stayed ahead, with Grant contributing another basket to the effort and Burke and Borter each adding on, until the final 90 seconds of the quarter. The Rainbow Wahine took a 48-46 lead into the final 10 minutes.
 
A jumper from Burke brought Santa Barbara level with their hosts early in the fourth, but the Gauchos were just unable to get their noses back in front before the final buzzer. But they did not go away either, staying within single digits. A three-pointer from Borter cut the deficit to five points with four minutes to play, and late free throws got the Gauchos within that same margin multiple times in the final two minutes. Ultimately, the hosts came away with a 65-58 win.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Santa Barbara's 26 first-quarter points are the most that Hawai'i — which began the evening ranked second nationally in scoring defense — has given up in a single quarter this season.
• Skylar Burke's 20-point game on Saturday was her third 20-point game of the season, one shy of tying Alyssa Marin for the team lead. Two of Burke's 20-point outings have come on the last two Saturdays.

 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will return home and play both of next week's games in the Thunderdome. Santa Barbara will host UC Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. before playing UC Riverside on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. At next Saturday's game against the Highlanders, the Gauchos will celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day. Tickets are on sale now at ucsbgauchos.com/tickets, and fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ or by following along with live stats at ucsbgauchos.com/WBBLiveStats.