The UC Santa Barbara women’s basketball team forced a timely turnover and hit enough free throws in the final seconds to hold on for 64-61 Big West victory over CSUN on Saturday at the Thunderdome.
Alexis Tucker was clutch for the Gauchos down the stretch as CSUN cut a 10-deficit to one in the last four minutes. She iced the game by hitting three of four free throws in the final seven seconds.
Tucker and Ila Lane each scored 16 points to lead the UCSB (15-6, 8-3 Big West).
Lane finished one rebound shy of her ninth double-double on the season. The center etched her name into the UCSB record books. Her nine rebounds Saturday give her 813 in her career, the 10th most in Gaucho women’s basketball history. She passed Kayte Christensen and is two away from moving ahead of Becky Brown.
Lane scored 14 of her 16 points in the first half, helping the Gauchos take a 33-29 lead into the break.
In the second half, Tucker took over the scoring duties, with help from Alyssa Marin and Anya Choice. Tucker scored 11 of her 16 points, with Marin celebrating her birthday by adding six in the third quarter.
Sophomore Kennedy Johnson provided a big lift off the bench, scoring eight points off the bench, the most by any Gaucho substitute and as many as the entire CSUN bench combined.
UCSB shot 52.1% from the field, its most efficient performance in conference action this season.
Jordyn Jackson scored 19 points and Tess Amundsen scored 15 to lead CSUN (4-18, 3-9).
The Gauchos are home on Thursday against first-place Long Beach State.