Gauchos edge Cal Poly in women’s basketball

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif- The UC Santa Barbara Women's Basketball team (17-11, 11-7 Big West) got their revenge on Cal Poly (11-16, 6-11 Big West) on Thursday night, handing the Mustangs a 63-60 defeat on their home court. Four Gauchos — Zoe Borter, Anya Choice, Skylar Burke and Olivia Bradley — scored in double digits on the night.

FROM HEAD COACH RENEE JIMENEZ
"This game could be a pivotal moment to the remainder of our season," Jimenez said. "The growth and toughness our team showed tonight should really give them the confidence they need heading down the stretch."

HOW IT HAPPENED
Both offenses got off to a slow start on Thursday, and the teams were tied at 6-6 midway through the first quarter. The Mustangs were shooting hot from outside, making three of their four attempts from beyond the arc in the first quarter, which helped them finish the opening 10 minutes up, 17-12.

However, the Gauchos flipped the script in the second quarter, making four of seven three-pointers while holding Cal Poly to just one make from beyond the arc as the Blue and Gold out-scored the Green and Gold, 19-9, in the frame. Laurel Rockwood quite literally seized the momentum four minutes into the quarter, ripping the ball away from Cal Poly in the paint on the defensive end, then posting up and drawing an and-one at the other. After that, two Borter free throws tied the game, then Cayla Williams drained her second three of the game to give Santa Barbara the lead. Borter drained a three of her own the next time down, then Choice made it three threes in as many possessions for the Gauchos to put them up by seven with just under two minutes left in the half. When the buzzer sounded, Santa Barbara led, 31-26.

Things got tighter after halftime, with Cal Poly scoring the first six points of the second half. Burke drew and converted an and-one to get the Gauchos their lead back, but from that point it was a one-possession game for essentially the rest of the quarter. Bradley put Santa Barbara up by as many as five around the four-minute mark, but by the end of the quarter the Gaucho lead was just two, 45-43.

The Gauchos started the fourth quarter strong, with a Bradley jumper putting them up by six inside two minutes, but Cal Poly came back and the lead started to swing back and forth. From the 5:45 mark to just before the one-minute mark, neither team led by more than one point. It was Choice who broke that trend, making a steal and then hitting a three-pointer at the end of the resulting breakaway to put Santa Barbara up, 57-55. Burke made the margin four with two free throws, but the Mustangs cut it back to two with just under 30 seconds to go. Burke went to the line two more times, making three of the four shots to put the Gauchos up 62-57, but Cal Poly hung around, making a three with four seconds left. They sent Choice to the line, where she made one, but it was still a three-point game. The Mustangs heaved their inbound pass down the court, but Bradley stepped in and picked it off to seal the result.

BY THE NUMBERS
Anya Choice had her best three-point shooting night of the season on Thursday, going a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc against the Mustangs, a season high in three-point makes. She finished the night with 10 points.
Zoe Borter and Skylar Burke led the Gauchos with 12 points each on the night; Olivia Bradley had 11, plus a team-high eight rebounds.
Thursday night was the 15th time this season that Santa Barbara out-rebounded their opponents, grabbing 30 boards to Cal Poly's 27. The Gauchos have won 12 of those 15 games.

UP NEXT
Santa Barbara returns home on Saturday for their Senior Night game, when they will host CSUN in the final home game of the year. Tip-off against the Matadors is scheduled for 4 p.m. from the Thunderdome, and the Gauchos will celebrate their six graduating seniors — Alyssa Marin, Anya Choice, Cayla Williams, Flora Goed, Laurel Rockwood and Analillia Cabuena — following the conclusion of the game. Saturday's action will also be live on ESPN+ with live stats available at ucsbgauchos.com.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics).