Feb. 14, 2009

Box Score

Irvine, Calif. - Due in large part to the clutch performance in the final minutes from senior Amy VanHollebeke (Carlsbad, Calif.), the Pacific women's basketball team slipped past UC Irvine, 48-44, on Saturday, Feb. 14.

The victory moved the Tigers to 13-11 on the season and 7-5 in the Big West Conference, while UC Irvine fell to 5-20 overall and 2-10 in conference play.

Leading 42-41 with just under one minute to play, VanHollebeke snaked through the UC Irvine defense and snagged a layup to give the Tigers some room to breathe. On the ensuing possession, Amy grabbed a pass out of the air and drew a foul. VanHollebeke calmly sank two free throws, extending the Tigers advantage to 46-41. Following a UC Irvine three pointer, Amy went back to the line, sinking two more free throws to seal a Pacific victory.

VanHollebeke finished the night with eight points, including six in the final minute.

A difficult offensive night for both teams, Pacific rallied from a 26-21 halftime deficit, outscoring the Anteaters 27-18 in the second half.

Senior Karen Dawkins' (Colorado Springs, Colo.) play off the bench kept Pacific afloat in a down first half. She finished the night with eight points and a team-leading eight rebounds.

The Tigers return to the court on Thursday, Feb. 19 as Pacific hosts UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. in the Alex G. Spanos Center.