by SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Kanani Coon set a new career high in scoring on Saturday evening, but the UC Santa Barbara Women’s Basketball team fell in their Big West home opener to UC Davis, 72-50. Coon accounted for 11 of the Gauchos’ 20 bench points on the evening, shooting 4-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range.
Ending a stretch of five wins in their previous six games, the Gauchos fall to 6-4 (1-1 Big West). The Aggies remain undefeated in Big West play (2-0), improving to 5-4 overall.
FROM HEAD COACH RENEE JIMENEZ
“Besides the basketball piece, I’m most disappointed that we just didn’t look like we competed,” Jimenez said. “We’re still trying to learn how to play in big moments and big games. … A game like this comes out and I’m like, ‘Okay, now we have to go a little bit backwards,’ which is good to know now because I think our team is really good and I think they’re really talented.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
A tough first quarter put the Gauchos in a hole. After allowing a layup to make it 9-4 Aggies, an offensive foul gave the ball back to the visitors. They took advantage with a three-pointer, and the Gauchos were forced to call a timeout to stop the momentum. The early woes continued, though, as they would turn the ball over on the ensuing possession, leading to another UC Davis layup. Thanks in part to a 15-2 Aggies run, the score was 22-8 at the end of one.
To start the second, the Aggies kept their foot on the pedal, increasing their lead to 29-8. Coon and Jessica Grant countered by hitting a three apiece, and the Thunderdome crowd came alive during a 12-0 Gauchos run. However, despite outscoring UC Davis in the second quarter, the Gauchos still trailed by double-digits—35-22 at halftime.
The third quarter began sluggishly for both teams. Combining for just five points in the first five minutes, all the scoring came on an Aggies three and two Gauchos free throws off a technical foul. From there, both teams flipped the switch, trading great offensive sets—and buckets—until the media timeout stopped the game at 43-28. Martha Pietsch provided some microwave scoring with four points in her five third-quarter minutes. Despite playing toe-to-toe with UC Davis since the end of the first quarter, the Gauchos could not gain much ground, heading into the final period trailing 47-32.
Coon drained her second three on the Gauchos’ first possession of the fourth, but the Aggies continued to shoot too well to make the game close. The eighth three-ball of the night for the visitors ballooned their lead to 20, now up 57-37. Coon, Alyssa Marin, and Anya Choice all eclipsed the 10-point mark in the fourth, but the Aggies remained in control to the final score of 72-50.
