The UC Irvine’s Women’s Basketball team (16-10, 11-4) won a tough battle against Cal State Fullerton (10-14, 5-9), 54-51, at the Bren Events Center on Feb. 24.
Fullerton started up the game with strong defense. As the ‘Eaters maneuvered the ball, the Titans adjusted to Irvine’s plays and made their ways around expected screens. Fullerton worked well offensively with dribble penetration to look for open shots.
They shot 1 for 8 from the field and had five turnovers in the starting 10 minutes, ending the first quarter down 6-14.
Transitioning into the second quarter, Fullerton’s continued to impress. The team reached a double-digit lead when sophomore guard Gabi Vidmar dribbled in to complete a mid-range jumper.
At halftime, Fullerton led the ball game, 27-20, obtaining a field goal percentage of 40% for the first two quarters. Irvine trailed behind with 27%.
Entering the third quarter, the Titans resumed their team efforts with precise communication on the court. Players fought hard for offensive rebounds, but luckily for Irvine, Fullerton was unable to use them to their advantage.
Titans’ junior guard Fujika Nimmo hit her third triple of the game, followed by teammate junior forward Kathryn Neff who added another three to the scoreboard. Fullerton came in hot, shooting 47% from the three-point range.
Despite reaching their 12 turnover and entering another scoreless period of time, Irvine was unwilling to back down.
The ‘Eaters’ offense shifted dramatically in the fourth quarter, especially inside the paint. Graduate forward Naomi Hunt called for the ball as she posted up on her defender. After she collected the pass, Hunt drop stepped towards the basket and landed the ball smoothly into the hoop with a left-handed hook.
The game became more and more nerve wracking. Irvine stepped up their defense to stop Fullerton from scoring on as many possessions as possible.
Gaining speed down the court, Irvine freshman guard Olivia Williams set herself up in the corner, ready to shoot. Once she received the pass, she hit a three, setting the score at 45-51 with a little over three minutes to go.
Fullerton cracked under the backcourt pressure, causing turnovers that gave Irvine the opportunity to score.
Bumping up the score to a one point deficit, UCI graduate center Tara Dusharm fought off her defenders and laid the ball into the cup. With under a minute and a half to go, sophomore guard Jayde Cadee cruised right past Fullerton for a right-handed layup.
Stopping Fullerton down court and securing Irvine’s lead, Cadee was fouled with 0.4 seconds and hit both free throws. The game ended with a thrilling Irvine win, 54-51.
Despite their loss, the Titan’s fought hard as graduate forward Carolyn Gill collected 10 points and seven rebounds. Dusharm shined for the ‘Eaters with eight points, three rebounds, and two blocks.
Jazlyn Flores is a Sports Intern for the 2022 winter quarter. She can be reached at jazlynpf@uci.edu.