Long Beach–The UC Riverside Women's Basketball Team's 2016-17 season came to an end Wednesday night with an, 81-71, loss to UC Santa Barbara in the quarterfinals of the Big West Tournament.

The Highlanders were done in by a first period that saw them fall behind 26-14 to the Gauchos, who got 20 points Sarah Porter in the quarter. Porter was a perfect 6-6 from long distance, and 2-2 at the line.

UCR climbed back into the game in the second period, thanks to Michelle Curry's 11 point outburst, holding Porter to just one shot attempt (missed).

For Curry, it was her fifth double-digit scoring quarter of the year helped the blue and gold go into the locker room trailing by five, 42-37.

Malou De Kergret also had a perfect shooting quarter going 4-4 from the field and 1-1 at the charity stripe in the second for nine of her 14 first half points.

With Porter in check in the second period, UCSB went inside to Drew Edelman, who had eight points in frame.

The Highlanders pulled to within two, 53-51, in the middle of the third, but Porter responded with her seventh triple of the night.

The eight point deficit UCR faced heading into the fourth would be smallest of the quarter, as UCSB went ahead by as much as 14 before the clock ran out of the blue and gold with the score 81-71 in favor of the Gauchos.

Curry finished with a team-high 22 points on 7-11 shooting and 8-10 at the line. De Kergret poured in a career-high 19 points before fouling out with 1:11 left in the third.

Lauren Holt found her way to double figures with 11 points in the defeat. Porter finished with a game-high 31 points, and Edelman
posted a 22 point-14 rebound double-double for UC Santa Barbara.

Simone DeCoud had nine points, four rebounds, six assists, and three steals in her final game as a Highlander. The senior finished her four-year career eighth on the all-time scoring list (1,315), and second on the program's assist chart (391).