UC Irvine Women’s Basketball (1-1, 0-0) secured their first win of the season against Pepperdine University (1-1, 0-0) 65-56 at the Bren Events Center on Nov. 7.
Almost 2,000 students from local elementary schools filled the Bren, in attendance for the Women’s Basketball program’s third annual Kids Game. Screeches, squeals and cheers filled the air as players took the court, creating an early energy surge throughout the team.
Pepperdine senior forward/center Megan Harkey started the scoring with a layup before Irvine put up a 5-0 run to take the lead. The Anteaters grew the lead, but back-to-back layups from Harkey tied the game at 12-12.
Irvine took and lost the lead again before UCI sophomore forward Summah Hanson converted a layup for an 18-15 Pepperdine lead.
Hanson then started a 7-0 run that set the score at 22-15 going into the second quarter.
A trend that the ‘Eaters would like to ignore is their lack of intensity as they finish the first half. Last game, UCI scored only four points in the second quarter en route to a loss. After a dominant first quarter this game, they only managed to score six points while Pepperdine stayed consistent offensively. Irvine flirted with the lead before ending the first half in a 30-28 deficit.
“We’ve got to figure out what we’re doing wrong,” Head Coach Tamara Inoue told New University postgame. “That’s really a coaching thing, not the players’ [in terms of] rotations and defensively. Offensively, we can score. So it’s definitely on me.”
While coaches and players made adjustments during halftime, a symphony of loud children continued to fill the arena, finally erupting completely as players made their way back onto the court.
Fresh off a break and infused with the crowd’s energy, UCI senior point guard Déja “DJ” Lee sprinted past the Waves’ defense and hit a layup to tie the game at 30-30. This was followed by a jumper from junior guard Hunter Hernandez and a triple from fellow junior guard Olivia Williams. The ‘Eaters found their energy from the first quarter with an 11-0 run, putting Irvine up 39-30 within minutes.
Unfortunately for Pepperdine, the fun for UCI had just started. UCI sophomore point guard Jaida Brooks hit a three from the left corner to make it 44-33. Lee received the ball on a foul and sent it right back to Brooks, who hit another triple before UCI graduate forward Nevaeh Dean capped off the 9-0 run with a three of her own.
Pepperdine freshman guard Chloe Sotell responded by hitting a triple in an attempt to rally her team to a comeback. Sotell put up an impressive showing in only her second collegiate game, scoring 12 and playing almost the entire game. Still, Irvine took control of the third quarter, in front 52-38.
“I’ve got players that, as you saw in the third quarter, can do things. You just got to give them a little bit of guidance,” Inoue said. “I don’t think it’s so much [about] adjustments as previous years, but we are learning. Hunter [Hernandez] and Olivia [Williams], as veteran as they are, it’s been over 600 days since they played, you know? With them coming back, it’s still a learning process and getting themselves to where they really need to be.”
Despite the Waves only scoring eight in the quarter, Irvine felt some stress as the game came to a close. The Pepperdine offense lashed out for an 11-0 run that put them in position to tie the game; however, they couldn’t make up the deficit as the game progressed to a 65-56 final.
“[I’ve liked] just showing that we can actually score in spurts, I think there’s been glimpses of what I know of our team,” Inoue said. “I just need it to be for 40 minutes. I don’t think it’s very long, right? But together, to do it for 40 is a challenge on our hands.”
The ‘Eaters now set their sights on the College of William & Mary, who they face at the Bren Events Center on Nov. 11.
Avery Rosas is a Sports Intern for the fall 2024 quarter. He can be reached at rosasaj1@uci.edu.
Edited by Benjamin Flores.