UC Santa Barbara Surprises Purdue

Since knocking off Louisiana Tech in last season’s NCAA tournament, UC Santa Barbara has looked for another chance to grab some national spotlight.

The Gauchos found it Tuesday by stunning sixth-ranked Purdue in overtime, 83-82, before 2,683 at the Thunderdome.

Lindsay Taylor, with 16 of her 22 points in the second half, was one of four Santa Barbara players in double figures. The Gauchos (4-1) also profited from 22 points by Jess Hansen, a career-best 18 points by Lisa Willett, and 13 points and 12 rebounds from Brandy Richardson.

“We had been working hard in practice on establishing an inside game and the team was really looking for me,” said Taylor, who added 11 rebounds and was 10 of 11 on free throws.

It looked as if the Gauchos, who led, 62-52, with 7:25 left in the second half and, 72-67, with 36 seconds to play, would pull off the upset in regulation. But the two-time defending Big 10 champion Boilermakers tied the game at 73 when forward Lindsey Hicks banked in a three-point shot with four-tenths of a second left.

Purdue (7-1) had one last chance to force a second overtime, but Emily Heikes missed the second of two free throws with 1.5 seconds left.

It was the first regular-season defeat for Purdue to an unranked nonconference opponent since losing to Stanford, 73-72, on Nov. 21, 1998 -- a stretch of 33 games.

Santa Barbara began the season ranked 25th, but fell out of the poll with a loss to Michigan.

“Being that we were a ranked team and we had beaten them twice in our building, we had to figure [Santa Barbara] would be ready to play tonight,” said Shreka Wright, who led Purdue with 26 points. “And they were ready the whole game.”

Santa Barbara also played without leading scorer Kristen Mann, sidelined because of a hairline fracture in her left wrist.

-- Mike Terry

No. 9 Texas Tech 67, Oregon State 51 -- Plenette Pierson scored 19 points as the Raiders (5-1) held the Beavers (5-3) scoreless for nearly five minutes in each half at Lubbock, Texas.

No. 13 North Carolina 83, Elon 50 -- La’Tangela Atkinson had 16 points as the Tar Heels (7-1) had a 15-0 run in the second half of a victory over the Phoenix (2-3) at Chapel Hill, N.C.

No. 20 Georgia 64, Michigan State 61 --Sherill Baker sank two free throws with 2.5 seconds left to lead the Bulldogs (6-2) past the Spartans (4-4) at Athens, Ga.

-- Associated Press