Nov. 15, 2003
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Shooting a blistering 58.2% from the floor, the 18th-ranked UC Santa Barbara women's basketball team opened its 2003-04 campaign Saturday afternoon in the Thunderdome with an 82-44 victory over San Diego in the first round of the Preseason National Women's Invitation Tournament.
The Gauchos - who have now won their last 10 season openers - will host a second-round WNIT game against 19th-ranked Utah on Monday, Nov. 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the Thunderdome. The Utes defeated Southeast Missouri State 76-65 in their opening game of this 16-team, four-round tournament.
On Saturday the Toreros fired the opening salvo as point guard Polly Dong stripped UCSB's April McDivitt, then fed Marta Menuez for an uncontested layup less than 30 seconds in. However that would be the visitors' only advantage as Santa Barbara senior Lisa Willett answered with baskets on consecutive trips down the floor. Leading just 14-12 at the 12:31 mark, the Gauchos embarked on a 16-1 run ignited by two of junior Kristen Mann's game-high 15 points. UCSB's cushion did not dip into single digits the rest of the game, and the scoreboard read 43-18 as the two teams headed into the locker rooms.
However San Diego was the aggressor of the second half, pulling as close as 48-31 with 16:24 remaining when Dong fed Lindsay Helvey for an uncontested three-pointer. Mann scored a layup on Santa Barbara's next possession, and the home team then used a dominating 15-0 spurt to pull ahead 68-33 at the 6:52 mark. Freshman guard Erin O'Bryan fed sophomore Karena Bonds in the paint for the game's final score, also UCSB's largest lead of the afternoon.
Seven Gauchos scored at least eight points, including Willett with 13 and junior forward Autumn Nichols who tallied 10 and was a perfect 4-for-4 shooting in her Santa Barbara debut. Preseason Wooden Award candidate Lindsay Taylor added nine points - as did freshman post player Jenna Green - while Bonds' eight points established a new career high. UCSB held a 43-26 advantage on the boards, but free-throw shooting proved to be an Achilles' heel as the defending Big West Conference champs connected at just a 53.3% clip (16-of-30).
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No USD player scored in double-figures as Helvey paced her team with nine points while Menuez chipped in eight to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds. The Toreros also hindered their cause by committing 29 turnovers and shooting just 28.1% from the field.
Tickets for the UCSB-Utah Second Round Preseason WNIT battle will be available on Monday by calling (805) 893-UCSB, or through the Thunderdome box office prior to the game beginning at 5:30 p.m.
