CEDAR CITY, Utah – After suffering a season-opening heartbreaker in which it led for nearly the entirety of the game, the Southern Utah University women's basketball team will look to rebound and claim its first win of the season when it travels to take on UC Irvine Thursday evening.
GAME INFO
Southern Utah at UC Irvine
Date: November 11
Tip-off: 5:00 p.m. MT
Location: Irvine, Calif.
Venue: Bren Events Center
TV: ESPN+
Live Stream | Live Stats | Southern Utah Notes | UC Irvine Notes
ABOUT UC IRVINE
-UC Irvine opened its season with a 114-53 victory over Westcliff University. Olivia Williams and Nikki Tom led the way with 13 points apiece. The Anteaters also got 11 points each from Naomi Hunt and Melodie Kapinga.
-The Anteaters recorded a 15-9 record last season including an 11-4 mark in conference play. UCI made a run to the conference championship game at season's end before falling to UC Davis.
-Irvine is led by head coach Tamara Inoue who is in her sixth year at the helm of the program. She entered the season with a record of 71-78.
-The 'Eaters were picked to finish second in the Big West preseason poll, just behind favorite UC Davis.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite double-doubles from both Cherita Daugherty and Kinsley Barrington, the Southern Utah University women's bas- ketball team could not maintain its lead in the closing minutes of Tuesday's season opener as Cal State Fullerton went on to claim a 71-69 victory at Titan Gym.
The loss dropped SUU to 0-1 on the season while CSUF improved to 1-0 to start the year.
Southern Utah led for nearly the entirety of the game after taking a 6-5 advantage in the opening minutes of the first quarter. The T-Birds stayed ahead of the Titans all the way until the 2:04 mark in the fourth quarter when a three pointer from Fullerton put the Titans on top. SUU would tie the game two more times before the final buzzer sounded, but a jumper from CSUF with just five second remaining proved to be the difference as the Thunderbirds could not score on their final possession.
Even with the disappointing result, the T-Birds put together a strong showing with five scorers in double figures. Daylani Ballena led the way with 16 points while Daugherty chipped in 13. Barrington, Madelyn Eaton and Darri Dotson all contributed 10 apiece. Daugherty added 10 rebounds to achieve double-double status while Barrington pulled down a game-high 11 boards.
Things appeared to be going SUU's way all night with a 36-27 advantage going into the halftime break. The Titans slowly chipped away at the deficit, though, and pulled within five at the end of the third quarter. Southern Utah still managed to hold onto its lead for much of the final quarter, but Fullerton started hitting tough jump shots, including a few from three-point range, to complete the comeback and earn the victory.
NOTES AND QUOTES
-Despite the loss in Tuesday's season opener, the Thunderbirds produced multiple strong individual performances. Kinsley Barrington and Cherita Daugherty both registered double-doubles with Barrington recording 10 points and 11 rebounds and Daugherty managing 13 points and 10 rebounds. Madelyn Eaton, Darri Dotson and Daylani Ballena all scored in double figures with Ballena leading the way on 16 points.
-Southern Utah is 1-7 in games played in the state of California since Sanders took over as head coach of the program.
-Southern Utah and UC Irvine last met in 2019 when the Thunderbirds claimed an 82- 68 victory on their home floor. Dari Dotson scored 15 points to go with six rebounds while Madelyn Eaton registered a single point.
-Thursday's contest will mark SUU's second- consecutive contest against a Big West opponent after Tuesday's matchup against Cal State Fullerton. Southern Utah is 3-4 against teams from the Big West under Tracy Sanders. All three wins occurred in 2019.
"We had some good stretches, but overall, this was a tough learning experience for us. We didn't get the stops or the rebounds down the stretch. We need to do a better job of valuing each possession."
-Head Coach Tracy Sanders after a narrow defeat in the season opener at Cal State Fullerton
"The ladies have been hard at work and are so excited to take the floor this November. We have some great games in our preseason with several WAC opponents as well as Colorado here in Cedar City. The Big Sky Conference will be tough as usual with some talented new coaches in the league. We just can't wait to start the season."
-Sanders on the release of the 2021-22 schedule
"I am so proud to call Southern Utah University and Cedar City home. It has been an incredible three years and I'm so excited about the direction of our program. We have some extremely talented players that have bought into both the vision and the culture of Southern Utah women's basketball. I'd like to thank Athletic Director Debbie Corum and Deputy Athletic Director Sonia Hahn for their continued support of our program and the opportunity they have given me to continue doing what I love alongside an incredible staff here at Southern Utah University."
-Sanders on her contract extension
"We are thrilled that Tracy will be leading our program for years to come. The improvement her teams have shown each year since she joined the Thunderbird family has been evident. Her players have excelled both on the court and in the classroom, and we are confident in her ability to take the program to new heights in the coming years."
-Southern Utah Athletic Director Debbie Corum on Sanders' contract extension
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