UC Davis’ Cierra Hall plays the ball while UC Irvine’s Tahlia Garza defends in the first half of Saturday’s Big West championship game at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
Chloe Webb (2) of UC Irvine throws a pass as she in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UC Davis in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13, 2021 Las Vegas falls. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill
UC Davis? Mackenzie Trpcic (00) is greeted by UC Irvings Chloe Webb (2) and Kayla Williams (4) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Las Vegas pressured. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Davis’ Cierra Hall, 32, wins the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UC Irvine in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas Three point basket. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Irvine’s Haleigh Talbert, 21, aims the ball in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UC Davis in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 13, 2021 Pass on Dani Guglielmo (20). (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
Kayla Konrad, 23, of UC Davis drives the ball to Chloe Webb ( 2) by UC Irvine. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Irvine’s Victoria Baker, 23, breaks off UC’s defense in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas Davis. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Davis’ Mackenzie Trpcic (bottom) and UC Irvine’s Haleigh Talbert (21) chase the ball in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13, 2021 , in Las Vegas. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
Haleigh Talbert (21) of UC Irvine wants to pass the ball to Sophia Locandro (35) and during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday from Kayla Konrad (23) stay away from UC Davis March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Irvine’s Dani Guglielmo protects the ball from UC Davis’s Evanne Turner in the first half of Saturday’s Big West championship game at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
Emma Gibb, 14, of UC Davis steps up to the basket in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UC Irvine in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas . (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
Chloe Webb of UC Irvine (left) and Emma Gibb of UC Davis (center) compete in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Las Vegas with a rebound. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Davis’s Kayla Konrad, 23, is greeted by UC Irvine’s Chloe Webb, 2, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UC Davis in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13th. March 2021, guarded in Las Vegas. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
Victoria Baker of UC Irvine Kayla Williams (4) of UC Irvine drives the ball in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13, 2021 Cierra Hall (32) from UC Davis Las Vegas. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Davis’ Evanne Turner, 15, scores a three in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against UC Irvine in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas Points basket. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Irvine’s Kayla Williams shoots out of the vicinity during Saturday’s Big West championship game against UC Davis at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. (Courtesy photo of UC Irvine Athletics)
Kayla Konrad (23) of UC Davis, center, is won by Kayla Williams (4) and during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13th Dani Guglielmo (20) from UC Irvine pressured in 2021 in Las Vegas. UC Irvine was fouled. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
Kayla Konrad, 23, of UC Davis responds to a call during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UC Irvine in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas . (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Irvine’s Chloe Webb plays the ball during Saturday’s Big West Tournament championship game against UC Davis at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. (Courtesy photo of UC Irvine Athletics)
Evanne Turner (15) of UC Davis, center, celebrates her three-point hoop with Mackenzie Trpcic (00) and Cierra Hall (32) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against UC Irvine in the Big West Conference championship Tournament Saturday, March 13th 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Davis ‘Cierra Hall (32), far left, celebrates with UC Davis’ teammate Emma Gibb (14) after playing an NCAA college basketball game against UC Irvine in the on Saturday, March 13, 2021 Championship of the Big West Conference tournament. in Las Vegas. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Davis players celebrate their victory in the NCAA Big West Conference Championship against UC Irvine in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 13, 2021. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Davis players celebrate their victory in the NCAA Big West Conference Championship against UC Irvine in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 13, 2021. (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
UC Davis’ Kayla Konrad attends a ceremony after participating in an NCAA college basketball game against UC Irvine in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament on Saturday, March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas . (AP Photo / Ronda Churchill)
The UC Irvine women’s basketball team will remember the first 25 minutes of the Big West tournament title game against UC Davis on Saturday night.
The anteaters were like perennial conference champions shot after shot, bottom dive after ground ride, and their defenses drove the Aggies into error as they led guards Kayla Williams and Chloe Webb by two points in the middle of the third quarter.
But when UC Davis broke the seal for the intense matchup with the highest seed, the anteaters lost a step with the second seed and the Aggies responded with a stranglehold to a 61-42 win at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas . The Aggies (13-2) travel to San Antonio for the 64-team NCAA tournament, their fourth consecutive trip. The NCAA pairings will be announced at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. PT (ESPN).
It was the second title in a row and the third overall win for UC Davis, who also won the 2011 tournament. The Aggies are also the first to win consecutive championships since Cal State Northridge in 2014 and 2015.
The anteaters (15-9), who sought their first place in an NCAA tournament in 1995 since their only other in 1995, completed their successful campaign with their first trip to the conference title game since 1997. It was the fifth time you appeared in a Big West final.
« We missed the game, » said UCI trainer Tamara Inoue afterwards. “We played very hard and then we missed a few shots and made some bad decisions on defense. Our focus is on defense and that they don’t open 3-pointers and post-ups. We started rushing.
« If we focus on one game, the program won’t move forward. » We played almost a full conference season, which resulted in a lot of testing for the team. We didn’t have a single positive (COVID-19) test. Our seniors have helped build who we are by having success and encouraging recruits to come to Irvine. »
The selection of all tournaments Webb (16 points, nine rebounds) and Williams (12 points, all with 3 pointers in the first half) were run by UCI, which only shot 28.6% (16 for 56) and 14 out of 20 layups and 6 out of 11 missed free throws.
Big West Player of the Year Cierra Hall had 23 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals and Evanne Turner had 22 points and five rebounds to lead UC Davis, who was 45.3% (24 for 53) shot and surpassed the Anteaters 40-31. Hall (9 for 15) and Turner were a combined 18-of-28 shoot, making six of the Aggies’ seven 3-pointers. Sage Stobbart added five points and 12 rebounds.
The defensively oriented teams played so fast that the officials never took their usual TV break in the first quarter. They were changing baskets, and neither team had been more than four points clear in the middle of the third quarter of a game with seven draws and twelve changes in leadership.
Sophia Locandro scored on a run in the lane to give UCI a 32-30 lead. A TV break followed and the Aggies sprinted 10-2 while the anteaters started rolling – shots rolled out, free throws were missed and rebounds slipped through their hands.
Hall started the series with a field goal and interrupted it with a 3-hand when the shot clock expired, which appeared to be the backbreaker. UCI was down by six after the third quarter but never came back into the game. After this TV break in the third quarter, they were exceeded with 31:10 points.
The anteaters overtook seventh-seeded UC Santa Barbara (92-90) in an exciting quarter-finals on Tuesday (excluding Williams) and then retreated in the fourth quarter to defeat Cal Poly (68-59) in the semi-finals on Friday .
Inoue and Williams, Big West Freshman of the Year, were as excited as they could.
« Overall, it’s been a great season, » said Williams. « It’s a lesson for all of us. What’s coming will be special. I can’t wait to see what’s next. »
The second-occupied UCI men will meet the best-occupied UC Santa Barbara in their championship game on Saturday (8:30 p.m., ESPN2). This is the first time that both UCI teams competed in the title games of the Big West tournament in the same year.
Our tournament run has come to an end, but the future looks incredibly bright for this team. Proud of how we showed up this week and this season and ready to come back stronger. #TogetherWeZot pic.twitter.com/Np3HIwnm9J
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