The UCI Women’s Basketball team (4-1) defeated Long Island University (LIU) (2-5), 65-56, on at the Bren Events Center Friday, Nov. 25.
UCI sophomore guard Nikki Tom led the team with 18 points, shooting 6-7 from the field and a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc.
The Anteaters started the game with a staunch defensive display that troubled the Sharks all game long. LIU shot just 35% from the field and turned the ball over 26 times, 11 of which came in the first quarter alone. UCI also committed their fair share of turnovers with 23 total, but only allowed 21 points off those turnovers.
Junior guard Ashley Austin was the focal point of the LIU attack, ending the night with 19 points on 7-15 shooting from the field. The Sharks had a hot second quarter behind Austin, as they cut away their early struggles to take back the lead, 21-18.
However, the lead for the Sharks was short-lived as quick buckets from UCI sophomore guard Olivia Williams and junior guard Diaba Konate put the Anteaters back ahead, 25-21. Williams continued her hot shooting in the quarter with a nice hook shot with two minutes left in the half. UCI kept dominating in the paint, with buckets from sophomore guard Hunter Hernandez and Williams in the last minute of the quarter. UCI went into halftime leading 31-21.
The defensive showcase continued with both teams scoring 13 points each in the third quarter. The first points of the quarter were scored three minutes in with a three-pointer by Tom from the corner, assisted by junior forward/center Nevaeh Dean. The highlight of the quarter came with a minute left when Konate crossed over Austin and dished a lovely bounce pass to junior forward/center Nevaeh Parkinson for an easy two points. The teamwork for the Anteaters led them to a 10 point lead, 44-34, heading into the fourth and final period.
LIU outscored UCI by one point in the fourth quarter, their only quarter doing so. Poor shooting plagued the ‘Eaters, with Williams missing all of her 6 attempts from the three-point line and the team overall shooting 32% from behind the arc during the whole contest.
UC Irvine managed to hold on in this stalemate of a match to win the game 65-56. The Anteaters will play Eastern Washington on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. The game can be streamed on ESPN+, and the live stats can be seen here.
Miguel Rodriguez is a Sports Intern for the fall 2022 quarter. He can be reached at miguer9@uci.edu.
