SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The historic season for Big West regular-season champions UC Irvine came to a close in the second round of the WNIT from the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Monday night.
The Anteaters fell to second-round host San Diego, 58-48, in what was a defensive battle throughout. UCI closes the year with a 25-7 record after going 16-2 in Big West action. The win tally is a program record, and just the fourth 20-win season in program history, including back-to-back efforts after reaching a then-record tying 21 victories in 2021-22.
Junior guard Diaba Konate paced the 'Eaters' offense with 12 points and Amelia Scharpf added 11. Deja Lee was the pickpocket of five of UCI's 11 steals on the night and Nyagoa Gony finished with a team-best eight rebounds.
The scoring was at a premium for both teams in the early-goings of the game, but San Diego managed to reach their first double-digit lead after a Maya Pace triple with 1:18 to play in the first half and the score at 21-11. UCI rolled off the next six unanswered after Konate found Gony for the layup. Konate rolled in the ball for the score after a eurostep in the lane with 10 seconds on the clock, and then Nevaeh Dean stole the inbounds pass and split a pair from the line. However, Kylie Horstmeyer's halfcourt heave was on target to make it 24-16 at the break in favor of the host Toreros.
Hortsmeyer helped the Toreros stretch the lead to 15 points with 4:31 on the third-quarter clock, but UCI made one more late push in the game. Konate's jumper with 2:07 to play was followed by the press, and Lee was able to secure the steal and layup to make it 56-48 with 1:48 remaining. The Anteaters couldn't manage to get any closer, however, finally succumbing with the 10-point margin.
San Diego's Horstmeyer finished with a game-high 15 points, with teammate Kasey Neubert pulling down 17 rebounds in the victory. The Toreros, who ousted Long Beach State from the bracket after outrebounding the Beach by 50 to 22, were again big on the glass. USD finished with the 54 to 34 rebounding edge against UCI to advance to the WNIT Super 16.
Next, USD will take on Oregon Thursday at 6 p.m. PT in Eugene looking for a spot in the bracket's Great Eight.