Career night by Zoe Shaw leads Gauchos past UC Davis

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - Behind a career-best performance by sophomore guard Zoe Shaw, the UC Santa Barbara Women's Basketball team usurped the visiting UC Davis Thursday night, besting the third place Aggies 69-61. Shaw had a historic game, racking up a career-high 29 points to fuel the Gauchos' second win over Davis this season.

FROM HEAD COACH RENEE JIMENEZ
"We've known what she could be. I just told her to be more aggressive, and this is a huge game for her. Hopefully this is a really big shift of confidence for her, but I was really, really proud of her tonight and she played 39 minutes, so it was really impressive."

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Aggies got going in the first, opening the game with a three-pointer ten seconds in. Zoe Shaw replied with the first of her seven total three-pointers on the night, foreshadowing her upcoming performance. The Gauchos built a slight lead at 8-3, but UC Davis put down seven straight points and eventually finished the first ahead at 14-12.

The Gauchos steadily climbed in the second, first presenting an eight-point run in the first half of the period. Shaw was the only Gaucho to score in the second half of the quarter, during which she amassed eight points and two more three. Davis was unable to stifle her and lost the quarter, 31-23.

Shaw opened the second half with yet another three-pointer, to which Davis responded with one of their own, then the Gauchos administered an eleven-point scoring run, getting themselves nearly 20 points ahead at 45-26. The Aggies responded by scoring 12 points nearly in a row, but the Gauchos were still ahead 47-38 going into the fourth.

The final quarter witnessed 18 free throws, ten of them made by the Gauchos. The Aggies managed to come within seven points of the Gauchos several times through the quarter, but Santa Barbara held on. Shaw made 12 points to keep the Gauchos on track, and they won 69-61.

Shaw's total of 29 points serves as the highest reached by a Gaucho this season and as a new-career high by seven. 21 of her points came from three-pointers, and the seven are a new career-best for her in three-pointers made. Additionally, Shaw shot 53% from outside the arc and 56% overall.

Zoe Borter also reached double-digits, dropping 14 points throughout the game for the second-highest tally of the Gauchos. Maddie Naro hauled five assists while freshman Chauncey Andersen led in rebounds once again, nabbing nine.

UP NEXT
The Gauchos head to UC Irvine, who they will play on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2:00 p.m. in the Bren Events Center.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)