SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Regular-season co-champion UC Irvine fell to No. 4 seed San Diego State in the first round of the 2026 WBIT, a 61-55 decision at Jenny Craig Pavilion on the campus of the University of San Diego on Thursday night. 

With the loss, the Anteaters close the season with a 26-7 mark, the most wins in program history and a fourth postseason appearance in the last five years. The hotly-conested game featured nine ties and 12 lead changes, with SDSU pulling ahead in the final quarter with a 13-for-13 night from the free throw line that included six in the last minute of the game. 

The Anteaters featured several standout with Big West Player of the Year Hunter Hernandez leading the scoring with 19 points and four assists. Big West Newcomer of the Year Jada Wynn and graduate student scored 12 points while collecting a game-best nine rebounds with a pair of blocks and two steals. Summah Hanson was a defensive force, tallying four steals and adding seven points and five boards to the team's effort.

SDSU and UCI were evenly matched in the first quarter, ending with a 14-14 tie after a stellar closing sequence for the Anteaters. Wynn blocked the attempt by Naomi Panganiban in the paint with 20 seconds on the clock and the ball caromed to Hanson, who then swished the triple with 10 seconds remaining in the period. 

The Aztecs were able to build a nine-point lead midway through the second quarter before the Anteaters answered with the final seven points in the period with a three-pointer from Ameerah Grant, layup for Nohe’alani Stores and jumper for Hernandez to set the score at 25-23 in favor of SDSU at the break. 

In the third, UCI found some momentum from the outside to see a five point lead with a minute to play in the quarter, but back-to-back threes for the Aztecs closed the period with the 43-42 lead in their favor.

SDSU capitalized on its defensive strength late in the fourth, converting turnovers into points and sealing the game with precise free-throw shooting,. The Aztecs made all six attempts from the stripe and forced the Anteaters into four turnovers in the final minute of action to come away with the 61-55 victory. 

San Diego State was paced by Panganiban's game-high 22 points and a 9-for-9 outing from the line with Kennedy Lee adding 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting with eight rebounds. 

With the win, the Mountain West regular-season champion Aztecs improve to  26-5 on on the year and advance to take on McNeese on Sunday, March 22, who upset No. 1 seed Texas A&M earlier on Thursday.