For the first time in eight years the UC Santa Barbara women’s basketball team lost a home game to Cal Poly.
A three-point play by Cal Poly’s Ashley Hiraki put the visiting Mustang’s ahead 51-50 with five seconds remaining and the Gauchos were unable to answer in the final moments.
“It’s not about the last play, it’s not about this or that, we didn’t rebound. We don’t win when we don’t rebound,” said UCSB first-year head coach Renee Jimenez. “When we out-rebound teams, we win. When Cal Poly out-rebounds teams, they win, so it was a battle of who was going to win the boards. We lost, 40-34, and that was the difference in the game. They had 14 offensive rebounds.”
Skylar Burke led the way for UCSB with eleven points. Skylar Grant added nine points on three three-pointers and Zoe Borter chipped in seven points and nine rebounds.
With the loss UCSB drops to 9-6 overall this season and 3-2 in Big West conference play.
The Gauchos are on the road all of next week, visiting UC Riverside on Thursday and UC Davis on Saturday. They return to the Thunderdome on Jan. 23 to host UC San Diego.