Nov. 7, 2003
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The 18th-ranked UC Santa Barbara women's basketball team appears more-than-ready for the 2003-04 regular season to begin following an emphatic 96-39 exhibition victory over the National Women's Basketball League on Friday night in the Thunderdome.
The Gauchos - who averaged 91.5 points, 48.5 rebounds and shot 50.5% in their two exhibition wins - had six players score in double-figures Friday, led by April McDivitt's 19 points on seven-of-eight shooting. The senior point guard commenced the game's scoring with a three-pointer just 28 seconds in, and continued to dazzle throughout the first half. Midway through the period she and sophomore Karena Bonds teamed up on an uncontested give-and-go that resulted in a McDivitt layup. Two minutes later the transfer from Tennessee again found herself running the floor and banked an underhand reverse off the glass for another two points.
A short jumper from freshman post player Jenna Green with eight seconds left concluded the first-half scoring barrage, and UCSB took a resounding 57-17 lead into the locker rooms. The home team committed just four turnovers and shot 51.3% over the first 20 minutes, an average that got even better after emerging from the locker room. Santa Barbara connected at a 56.7% in the second half as juniors Kristen Mann and Kate Bauman led the onslaught with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Mann finished with 15 points while Bauman tallied 11, and Green continued to impress with her 18 points and game-high eight-rebound and five-steal performance. Mia Fisher (13 points) and Lisa Willett (10) rounded out the list of double-digit scorers for UCSB.
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Center Petra Ujhelyi, who played collegiately at of South Carolina, led the NWBL squad with 12 points, connecting on five of her seven field goal attempts. The team of former collegians was out-rebounded 50-25 and committed 24 turnovers while dishing out just eight assists.
The Gauchos' first real test comes on Saturday, Nov. 15 as they host San Diego in the first round of the Preseason National Women's Invitation Tournament. Tip-off in the Thunderdome is slated for 1:00 p.m., and tickets are available by calling (805) 893-UCSB.
