Overview:
The Gauchos made 13-of-29 three-pointers at Seattle on Saturday after converting just 4-of-27 at UCLA on Thursday
SEATTLE — A trip to the Pacific Northwest was just the ticket for the three Oregonians on the UC Santa Barbara women’s basketball team.
Zoe Borter, Madison Naro and Chauncey Andersen combined for 40 points as the Gauchos ran away with an 89-49 victory at Seattle University on Sunday afternoon.
“To be able to bring them home to play in front of their families and friends was awesome,” UCSB coach Renee Jimenez said. “We had over 150 Gaucho fans in the building and it really felt like a home game for us.
“The Seattle UCSB Alumni Association came out to support us, as well as some women’s basketball alumni like Mia Fisher and Erika (Kienast) Lipkin and their families.”
The romp was a nice bounce back for the Gauchos (2-1) following Thursday’s 87-50 defeat at third-ranked UCLA.
UCSB outshot the Pilots 52.2% to 37.5% — 44.8% to 19% in three-pointers — and out-rebounded them 30-27.
The Gauchos also forced Seattle (1-2) into 17 turnovers while committing just nine of their own.
“I’m really proud of the way our team played,” Jimenez said. “We rebounded the ball extremely well and shared it on offense.
“Twenty assists on 30 made shots shows our unselfishness and we locked in defensively from start to finish.
“It was a total team effort and a great win for us.”
Borter, a 6-foot junior from Beaverton, Oregon, scored 16 of her 18 points in the first half to send UCSB off to a 50-19 lead.
She made 7-of-9 shots in the first two quarters. She deferred to her teammates for most of the second half, taking just two more the rest of the game.
Andersen, a 6-foot freshman from Portland, made 4-of-7 shots from three-point distance and scored 15 points.
Naro, a 5-8 junior point guard from Beaverton, ran UCSB’s offense without a turnover while adding eight points.
Zoe Shaw, an Australian who transferred to UCSB this season from St. Bonaventure University, led all scorers with 19 points with 5-of-9 shooting from three. She and Skylar Burke also had four assists apiece.
The Gauchos were hot from the outset. Olivia Bradley made a three and Shaw added two more in the first five minutes.
The two Aussies topped UCSB in rebounds with seven apiece while Bradley also scored 14 points.
The Gauchos finished the first quarter strong with a 15-0 run to extend their lead to 25-10.
The second period was more of the same as UCSB outscored the Pilots 25-9.
Shaw made four shots including two more threes in the quarter.
Andersen came off the bench to make two threes of her own. The last came with two seconds on the clock to send the Gauchos into the locker room with their 50-19 lead.
They made 9-of-19 threes in the first half alone and finished 13-for-29 after making just 4-of-27 at UCLA.
Seattle’s only first-half success came from long distance, making four of its six baskets from three.
Jana Vesic led the Pilots with 17 points and Ella Brubaker added 13, with both players making a pair of threes.
UCSB missed its last five shots of the third period and carried a scoreless drought of more than five minutes into the fourth quarter.
But a three-point play by Naro and a three-pointer by Jessica Grant revived the Gauchos for a strong finish.
UCSB will return home for its next game against Grand Canyons at 2 p.m. on Saturday.