The UC Santa Barbara women’s basketball team suffered a 69-62 defeat against UC Riverside on February 1, 2024, marking their tenth consecutive game with offensive struggles. Coach Renee Jimenez expressed frustration over her team’s defensive performance, noting that they failed to adhere to the game plan. “To give them a 24-point second quarter and a 21-point fourth quarter is really frustrating. We’re better than that,” she stated.
This latest loss, which is UCSB’s fourth in five games, leaves the team with a record of 16-7 overall and 8-6 in the Big West Conference. The Gauchos now sit in fifth place, three games behind the fourth position, which is crucial for obtaining a bye in the first round of the upcoming Big West Tournament.
Despite UC Riverside’s overall shooting percentage of 42.1%, they capitalized on UCSB’s defensive lapses, particularly during critical stretches of the game. In the second quarter, the Highlanders converted 9 of 16 shots, while also scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Hannah Wickstrom led Riverside with 27 points, surpassing her national average of 23.3 points per game. Wickstrom’s performance included five three-pointers, which alone outscored UCSB’s total of four made threes throughout the game.
UCSB, which was ranked fourth nationally in three-point shooting accuracy at 39.5% earlier in January, has seen a significant decline to 33.9%. Over their last ten games, they have made only 73 of 269 attempts from beyond the arc, a troubling 27.1%. Coach Jimenez highlighted the struggles her team has faced in finishing plays, stating, “We got great shots. We got layups around the rim. We did not focus and we did not finish around the rim when we got up.”
In an effort to boost the team, freshman Chauncey Andersen came off the bench to contribute significantly, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. She played a key role in the first quarter, helping to close the gap against Riverside and ending the period with UCSB ahead 16-14.
Despite the promising start, the Gauchos’ shooting slump became apparent as they missed six of their first seven attempts in the second quarter. This allowed Riverside to take control with a 22-8 run, pushing the score to 36-24 by halftime. Zoe Borter, who struggled early in the game, managed to rally in the second half, scoring 17 of her game-high 20 points after the break.
As the second half progressed, UCSB began to chip away at the deficit, finishing the third quarter with only a one-point gap at 48-47. However, even with Borter’s quick scoring at the start of the fourth quarter, Riverside maintained their lead, outscoring the Gauchos 15-6 in the final minutes of the game. “You’re not going to win games when you only play for 10 minutes,” Jimenez remarked, emphasizing the need for consistent effort throughout all four quarters.
The Gauchos will look to regroup and break their losing streak when they face Cal Poly in a home game on February 3, 2024, at 14:00.
