IRVINE, Calif. - With two games left until the beginning of conference play, the Thunderbird women's basketball team was able to get their season back on track Monday night with a 70-58 win over UC Irvine.

The first half was a close affair with the score being tied five times and no team leading by more than four points at any time. The half would come to a close with the Thunderbirds leading 34-30.

The Thunderbirds weren't able to pull away until late in the fourth quarter as the team step up defensively and used a 13-2 scoring run to put the Anteaters away.

“We got some key defensive stops that changed the game plan a little bit and we executed defensively. There was a big offensive rebound and putback by Whitney [Johnson] towards the end that allowed us to stretch the lead and put pressure on them to hit shots,” head coach Chris Boettcher said of the fourth quarter.

Freshman Skylee Doman was 6-8 on the night and led the Thunderbirds with 16 points. Senior Jessica Richardson finished with 13 points and six rebounds.

“She hit some big shots at important times in the game and she also played great defense and contributed in a lot of different ways. Really happy with her performance and the progress she is making in decision-making and consistency,” Boettcher said of Doman's performance.

The Thunderbirds will continue their road trip in California Wednesday afternoon at Cal State Northridge.