IRVINE, Calif. (Interstat) — A dominant third-quarter surge propelled the UC Irvine women’s basketball team to a 90-75 victory over Northern Arizona on Saturday night at the Bren Events Center.

The Anteaters, who evened their season record at 2-2, outscored the Lumberjacks 29-23 in the pivotal third period to break open a game that was tightly contested through the first half. The win was built on superior efficiency and a commanding presence in the paint, where UC Irvine outscored Northern Arizona 34-18.

Jada Wynn and Shirel Nahum led the offensive charge for the Anteaters. Wynn, a 6-foot-1 forward from Yorba Linda, California, recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while also dishing out six assists. Nahum, a guard from Ra’anana, Israel, poured in a game-high 23 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists.

The Lumberjacks, who fell to 1-3 with the loss, were led by Naomi White’s 21 points. The guard from Omaha, Nebraska, also contributed four rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes of action. Despite the loss, Northern Arizona stayed competitive for stretches, particularly from beyond the arc where they shot 8 for 22.

The game was a tale of contrasting offensive execution. While both teams had an identical 77 possessions, UC Irvine’s offensive rating of 116.4 dwarfed Northern Arizona’s mark of 97.8. The Anteaters’ efficiency was bolstered by a near-perfect performance from the free-throw line, where they converted 24 of 26 attempts. The Lumberjacks, by comparison, made 25 of 33 from the stripe.

UC Irvine also controlled the glass, hauling in 20 offensive rebounds that led to numerous second-chance opportunities and highlighted a significant rebounding advantage over Northern Arizona, which managed only eight offensive boards.

The first half set the stage for the Anteaters’ breakout. After a back-and-forth opening quarter that ended with UC Irvine leading 21-16, the Anteaters maintained their momentum to take a 39-31 advantage into halftime.

The third quarter proved decisive. UC Irvine came out of the locker room with increased defensive intensity and offensive purpose, steadily expanding their lead. Key contributions came from across the roster, including a double-double from Hunter Hernandez of San Jose, who tallied 11 points and 11 rebounds. Nohealani Stores provided a significant spark off the bench, scoring 14 points in just 15 minutes, while Naomy Zonzon-Huyghe added 10 points.

For Northern Arizona, Madison Watts from San Pedro, California, scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Faith Curry of Bakersfield chipped in 13 points. Simone Morris also reached double figures with 11 points.

The Lumberjacks’ offense was hampered by 15 turnovers, which the Anteaters converted into 18 points. UC Irvine committed 12 turnovers, leading to 10 points for Northern Arizona.

A crowd of 560 at the Bren Events Center saw the Anteaters snap a two-game skid, having previously lost on the road to Idaho State and Arizona. Northern Arizona, which entered the game with a 51.7 percent probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO system, saw its two-game winning streak come to an end after a blowout victory over Embry-Riddle earlier in the week.

UC Irvine now looks ahead to a trip to Anchorage, Alaska, where they will face Bowling Green on Friday, Nov. 21. Northern Arizona returns home to Flagstaff to host Pepperdine on Wednesday, Nov. 19.