BREAKING: The UC Santa Barbara women’s basketball team suffered a crushing 69-62 defeat to UC Riverside at the Thunderdome on February 2, 2023, marking their 10th consecutive game of offensive struggles. Head coach Renee Jimenez expressed her frustration over a defense that faltered in critical moments, stating, “I thought, defensively, we did not execute the scout — I mean, not even close.”
This latest loss, the Gauchos’ fourth in five games, drops their overall record to 16-7 and 8-6 in the Big West Conference, pushing them further into fifth place—now three games behind fourth place with only seven games left to secure a bye in the upcoming Big West Tournament.
Despite a lackluster shooting performance from Riverside, who shot just 42.1% overall, the Highlanders capitalized on UCSB’s defensive lapses, scoring 24 points in the second quarter and 21 points in the fourth. Sophomore standout Hannah Wickstrom led the Highlanders with 27 points, including five three-pointers, outperforming the entire Gauchos team, which managed only 4-of-19 from beyond the arc.
“We’ve been shooting poorly,” Jimenez lamented. “We got great shots. We got layups around the rim. We did not focus and we did not finish around the rim when we got up.” UCSB, once ranked fourth nationally in three-point shooting at 39.5%, has seen their percentage plummet to 33.9% over recent weeks, compounding their struggles.
In a brief moment of hope, freshman Chauncey Andersen sparked the Gauchos with a double-double performance of 13 points and 11 rebounds. She contributed crucial baskets that briefly closed the gap to just one point early in the game. But the team’s shooting slump re-emerged, with the Gauchos missing six of their first seven shots in the second quarter, allowing Riverside to pull ahead decisively.
UCSB fought back in the third, with Zoe Borter scoring 17 of her team-high 20 points after halftime, yet the effort fell short as Riverside outscored UCSB 15-6 in the final minutes. Jimenez noted, “You’re not going to win games when you only play for 10 minutes.”
“We talked a lot this week about making changes by February,” she continued, emphasizing the need for improved communication and defense. “It was frustrating. It was real quiet on the court. We have to challenge them just to talk and speak and communicate.”
The Gauchos are set to return to action on Saturday at 2 p.m. when they face Cal Poly at home, a critical match for their hopes of climbing back into playoff contention.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story as UCSB looks to turn their fortunes around.
