ST. GEORGE, Utah (Interstat) — UC Santa Barbara built an early lead and withstood a late Utah Tech surge for a 68-65 win in a nonconference women’s basketball game Saturday at Burns Arena.

The Gauchos led by as many as 11 in the third quarter before the Trailblazers’ 22-point fourth-quarter rally closed the gap. Jessica Grant led UC Santa Barbara with 16 points. Utah Tech’s Brie Crittendon posted a game-high 17 points and nine rebounds in the loss.

UC Santa Barbara improved to 9-1 overall. Utah Tech fell to 4-5. Attendance was 537.