UPDATE: The UC Santa Barbara women’s basketball team suffered a crushing 69-62 defeat to UC Riverside on Thursday, marking their 10th consecutive game struggling with offensive performance. Head coach Renee Jimenez expressed frustration over the team’s defensive collapse, particularly as they allowed Riverside to score 24 points in the second quarter and 21 points in the fourth.
This latest loss pushes the Gauchos (16-7, 8-6 Big West Conference) further into fifth place, now three games behind fourth place with just seven games remaining in the season. The top four teams earn a crucial bye in the first round of the Big West Tournament.
Despite Riverside’s overall shooting percentage of just 42.1%, they capitalized on UCSB’s defensive lapses, scoring heavily in critical moments. Sophomore Hannah Wickstrom was a standout for the Highlanders, scoring 27 points with a remarkable 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, outperforming UCSB’s total three-point shooting of just 4-of-19.
The Gauchos, once ranked fourth nationally for three-point shooting at 39.5% in early January, have since plummeted to 33.9% as their shooting struggles continue. “We’ve been shooting poorly,” Jimenez lamented. “We got great shots but didn’t finish.”
Freshman Chauncey Andersen provided a brief spark for UCSB, contributing 13 points and 11 rebounds, but the team’s inconsistent performance ultimately led to another disappointing outcome.
UCSB managed to rally in the second half, with junior Zoe Borter scoring 20 points, but could not overcome the deficit. “You’re not going to win games when you only play for 10 minutes,” Jimenez said, highlighting their need for sustained effort.
Looking ahead, the Gauchos will attempt to turn their fortunes around when they face Cal Poly at home on Saturday at 2 p.m. Fans are eager to see if UCSB can regain form and mount a successful push as they approach the crucial final stretch of the season.
