IRVINE, Calif. (Interstat) — UC Irvine used a dominant third-quarter surge to pull away from Northern Arizona and secure a 90-75 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game Saturday at the Bren Events Center.

The Anteaters, who evened their record at 2-2, broke open a tight contest by outscoring the Lumberjacks 29-23 in the pivotal third period. The run turned a narrow 39-31 halftime lead into a more comfortable 68-54 advantage heading into the final quarter. Northern Arizona fell to 1-3 with the loss.

Jada Wynn and Shirel Nahum powered the UC Irvine offense. Wynn, a 6-foot-1 forward from Yorba Linda, California, recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, adding six assists. Nahum, a guard from Ra’anana, Israel, led all scorers with 23 points, dished out four assists and grabbed five rebounds.

The Anteaters’ efficiency was key to the victory. They scored 90 points on 77 possessions for an offensive rating of 116.4, significantly outperforming the Lumberjacks, who managed a 97.8 rating on the same number of possessions. UC Irvine also capitalized on second chances, hauling in 20 offensive rebounds that led to a 34-18 advantage in points in the paint and an 18-10 edge in points off turnovers.

Northern Arizona was led by Naomi White, a guard from Omaha, Nebraska, who scored 21 points. Faith Curry added 13 points off the bench for the Lumberjacks, while Madison Watts contributed 10 points and seven rebounds.

Despite shooting similarly from the field, UC Irvine’s superior work at the free-throw line proved decisive. The Anteaters were nearly perfect, converting 24 of 26 attempts. Northern Arizona, by contrast, made 25 of 33 from the line.

The game was closely contested early, with UC Irvine holding a 21-16 lead after the first quarter and extending it to eight points by halftime. The third-quarter burst, however, gave the Anteaters a cushion that the Lumberjacks could not overcome in the final frame.

Other key contributors for UC Irvine included Hunter Hernandez, who posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Nohealani Stores, who scored 14 points.

An announced crowd of 560 was on hand at the Bren Events Center for the matchup.