Jan. 16, 2010
Box Score
Irvine, Calif. - A late first half comeback was not enough for the Pacific women's basketball team to edge out Big West rival UC Irvine as they fell 68-57 on the road on Saturday, Jan. 16. Sophomore Christina Thompson (Sacramento, Calif.) led all players with 18 points in the contest. Sophomore Eliza Dy (Chino Hills, Calif.) also finished in double digits with 12 points and a team-high three assists.
With the loss, Pacific fell to 3-12 overall and 1-4 in the Big West, while UC Irvine improved to 5-13 and 2-4 in conference play.
Pacific trailed by as much as eight in the first half (13-5) after UC Irvine's Jade Smith-Williams put in a lay-up with 14:36 on the clock. Down 19-12 with under 11 minutes to play in the half, freshman Erica McKenzie (Sparks, Nev.) drained a three assisted by Dy to start the Tigers' rally.
Dy made the first of two free throws to pull Pacific within one (19-18) at 9:08, but the Anteaters jumped ahead by five on back-to-back jumpers. It was a jumper by junior guard Jennifer Fath (Carrolton, Texas) at 7:42 that helped restart the rally.
Freshman Kendall Rodriguez (La Habra, Calif.) hit a jumper at 7:00 to play that pulled Pacific to within one for a second time (23-22). Fath would tie the game (24-24) with 6:42 remaining after knocking in her second basket. McKenzie hit another three 30 seconds later to give Pacific its largest lead of the night, 27-24.
But the Tigers would not find the net for over five minutes while the Anteaters were a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line to regain the lead (28-27) before Jazmyne White put UC Irvine up by three (30-27) with 1:31 on the clock. Dy countered with a three-pointer 21 seconds later to tie the game for a third time on a pass from Fath heading into the break.
Pacific would strike first in the second half to take the lead, but UC Irvine controlled the remainder of the contest, shooting 50 percent from the floor and scoring 25 points off of turnovers.
The Anteaters were led by Smith-Williams who had game-highs of 17 points and six assists. Rebecca Maessen and Keyonna Johnson each scored 14 points and Mikah Maly-Karros finished with a double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds).
The loss against UC Irvine broke a five-game winning streak in the last three years both teams have faced each other.
Pacific returns to action next on Wednesday, Jan. 20, when it hosts Cal State Bakersfield in non-conference action. The game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
