San Jose, Calif. – Freshman Raziya Potter scored a season-high 17 points and dished out a season-best five assists, but the San José State women's basketball team was outscored by 18 points in the second quarter en route to a 74-66 loss to the UC Irvine Anteater in The Event Center.
Potter scored nine in the first period; the Spartans hit 43 percent from the floor (6-of-14) and built a 17-10 lead after the first 10 minutes.
All the good work in the first period was lost in a second, which saw the Spartans outscored 25-7. It's the third time this season SJSU (1-5) has failed to reach double digits in the second quarter and the fourth time overall.
UCI scored the first seven points of the second to tie the game 17-17 with 6:39 to play before intermission. Alexis Harris hit a free throw to put SJSU back in front 18-17, but that was the last lead the Spartans would enjoy. The Anteaters went on a 16-to-4 run over the next six minutes and led 35-24 at the half.
UC Irvine (7-0) took its biggest lead of the game, 17 points, early in the third and maintained a double-digit advantage until a Fieme'a Hafoka three with 2:38 to play to make it 68-60. Hafoka finished with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Spartans got the deficit down to six on a pair of Potter free throws with 18 seconds left, but would get no closer in the 74-66 loss. Danae Marquez was the third Spartans in double figures. She had 13 points, four assists and two rebounds. Cydni Lewis had a game-high 11 rebounds, a career-high, and added eight points.
For the game the Anteaters went 24-of-32 from the free throw line as compared to SJSU which was 9-of-13.
Jordan Sanders led the Anteaters with 24 points, including 6-of-8 from the line. Lauren Saiki had 13 and seven assists.
The Spartans head out on the road for their next two games. They will play the University of Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder, Colorado on Thursday, December 6 and then against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday, December 8.