The UCSB women’s basketball team was handed just its second home loss of the season on Thursday night, falling to UC Riverside for the second time, 60-51.
The Gauchos (13-10, 7-7) actually owned a better field goal percentage for much of the game, but three-point shooting was the difference. The Highlanders (10-10, 7-6) hit 7-of-12 treys in the first half and shot 50 percent from deep for the game, while UCSB made 7-of-24 (29.2%).
For the ninth time this year, junior center Ila Lane recorded a double-double, going for 17 points and 15 rebounds. She connected on 7-of-11 (63.6%) field goal attempts, making it six straight games shooting at least 60 percent. She also played all 40 minutes for the first time this season.
The only other Gaucho to score in double-figures was junior point guard Johnni Gonzalez, who scored 10 for the first time during conference play. Gonzalez went 2-for-2 from range, her third straight game with a pair of triples.
Senior point guard Danae Miller also played all 40 minutes and had a rough shooting night by her standards, but she did hit two threes of her own on her way to eight points. She is now one three-pointer away from tying Melissa Zornig for No. 7 all-time at UCSB.
For the first time since last March, the Gauchos made all of their free throws, going a perfect 10-of-10 at the line.
UCSB got out to a slow start, but found success feeding Lane with high passes over the top of the defense. She finished the first quarter with eight points on 4-of-6 shots, but UCR led 16-13.
UCR opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run to take a 26-15 lead. Three-pointers from Gonzalez and junior guard Alexis Tucker were followed by a three-point play by Lane as UCSB cut the lead down to three. However, the Highlanders hit their seventh three of the opening half at the buzzer to go into the break leading 32-26.
During the second half, Santa Barbara was held to nine points in the third quarter as UCR rebuilt a double-figure lead, scoring five points in the final minute to head into the fourth up 45-35.
The lead would grow as large as 15 points, 54-39, on a pair of Highlander free throws at the 2:37 mark. The Gauchos didn’t make their first shot of the period until Miller knocked down her second three of the day with 2:24 to go. Senior Megan Anderson and Gonzalez would both hit threes in the final 90 seconds as UCSB ended the game on a 12-4 run.
Today, the Gauchos will welcome UC Davis for Senior Day and a 2 p.m. tipoff at the Thunderdome.
Michael Jorgenson writes about sports for UCSB.
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