The UC Santa Barbara women’s basketball team dropped a key game against the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Rainbow Wāhine on Saturday, Feb. 21, in a heartbreaking 58-52 loss. The Gauchos have now found themselves at sixth place in the Big West Conference, having switched with the University of Hawai’i due to the loss.

Courtesy of UCSB Athletics

Three-point shooting was the story of this game, as the Gauchos, who are averaging 33.5% shooting from beyond the arc on about 27 attempts per game, shot 41 total threes and only managed to hit on 24% of them. 

“We got wide open shots. I don’t think we knew we were gonna take 40, but we thought we’d make some, which would open up lanes and we’d get good stuff to the rim,” Head Coach Renee Jimenez said after the game.

Unfortunately for the Gauchos, there was very little available for them under the basket, with the 6’4” Hawai’i senior forward Imani Perez locking down the paint. Perez put on a show in the Thunderdome, totaling 14 points in 34 minutes of play. She was aided by 6’0” senior forward Saniyah Neverson, who added 12 total rebounds, and the Gauchos had no answer for their size and dominance. 

The three-point shooting felt off from the start, with the Gauchos shooting five straight 3s to open the game and missing all of them, going scoreless in the first three minutes. They finally landed one with a wing 3 from senior guard Skylar Burke with 6:12 left, but Burke would turn out to be the only bright spot of the game. She totaled 16 points on 50% from 3, but it simply wasn’t enough. 

Despite the shooting woes, the Gauchos managed to stay competitive with the Rainbow Wāhine through three quarters. The momentum swung back and forth, with contributions from Gaucho junior guard Maddie Naro rebounding and tight defense forcing turnovers alongside bad shots and missed 3s. UCSB would go into the half down 27-25, as they forced back-to-back turnovers in the final minute of the first half to send the crowd roaring. 

 However, the Gauchos stumbled in the third quarter, going scoreless until junior forward Zoe Borter managed to hit on an early shot clock 3 with 5:29 left. UCSB simply could not find any rhythm, as all attempts to drive to the basket were halted at the line. The Gauchos stayed in it through the end of the quarter with strong man-to-man defense, but Hawai’i would eventually pull away after freshman guard Bailey Flavell put Hawai’i up 50-39 after a barrage of cutting layups and 3s. Though the Gauchos only lost by six, the fourth quarter felt completely out of reach.