STOCKTON – Pacific used a 15-4 run to close the first half and turned it into a 27-10 run to rout the UC Santa Barbara women’s basketball team on Thursday night, 60-40.
UCSB suffered its worst loss of the season and were swept by the Tigers in the regular season for the first time since the 1986-87 season. UCSB falls to 13-15 overall and 7-8 in the Big West. Pacific improves to 16-11, 9-6.
The Gauchos’ hopes of hosting a first-round game of the Big West Tournament were dashed by a Pacific team they could potentially meet again in the conference tournament. UCSB’s eighth conference loss marks its most since dropping that many in the 1990-91 season. The Gauchos play at UC Davis on Saturday in the finale of the regular season attempting to continue its mark of 21 consecutive seasons at .500 or better in conference play. The last UCSB squad to finish under .500 in conference play was the 1989-90 team.
The game was tight early with the team’s trading buckets as there were seven ties and eight lead changes in the first portion of the first half. However, with the game tied at 21-21, Pacific ended the first half on that 15-4 run.
Pacific carried on and even put together a 14-0 run during the second half and led by as many as 27 with 4:14 remaining.
Emilie Johnson led the Gauchos with 11 points and eight rebounds. Nicole Nesbit had nine points off the bench and Destini Mason finished with eight points.
Tip-off on Saturday at UC Davis is set for 2 p.m.
