Gauchos record-breaking night does not produce a win at Big West Tournament

LAS VEGAS, Nevada. - The seventh-seeded UC Santa Barbara women's basketball team was eliminated from the 2021 Big West Tournament by second-seeded UC Irvine in an instant classic on Wednesday night at the Michelob Ultra Arena at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

In what was the game of the season in the Big West, the Gauchos (7-14) converted on 18 three-pointers to shatter their previous program record of 15 and the previous Big West Tournament mark of 13, but surrendered 46 points in the paint as the Anteaters survived in a wild 92-90 contest.

UCSB junior guard Taylor Mole set a new career-high with 24 points in the game, and her 19 points in the first half were the most scored in a single half by a Gaucho this season. Mole also picked up 11 boards for her seventh double-double of the season. Senior point guard Danae Miller added 18 points on five triples and three free throws, four assists, and three steals. Junior Megan Anderson put up 16 points on a 4-of-7 night from beyond the arc, and redshirt senior Doris Jones scored 15 points and had six rebounds.

Several records were matched or broken in the game. The Gauchos' 29 three-point attempts tied for the second-most in tournament history and their 90 points set a new Big West Tournament single-game record for most points scored.

The 182 combined points between the two squads were the fourth-most in tournament history and it was the first time two teams scored over 80 points in a Big West Tournament game since 1998, when UCSB defeated Nevada 95-88 in overtime.

Both the Gauchos and Anteaters also laid claim to the first time a team has scored over 90 points in regulation since 1996.

Article courtesy of UCSB Athetics.