SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Paced by sophomore Chelsey Gipson's season-high 15 points, the LMU women's basketball team (3-0) defeated the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (0-4) 70-57 on Monday night at The Thunderdome. This marks the second straight year LMU has opened the season 3-0 after not doing so previously since the 2003-04 campaign.
 
"It feels great [to get the 3-0 start]," Gipson said. "We love being the underdog. We've started off the season right. We attacked the basket tonight. Our shots weren't falling so we tried to attack the basket and get to the free-throw line."
 
Balanced scoring led LMU to a 38-24 lead at the half. Gipson paced the Lions with 11 points through the first two quarters as Raychel Stanley added nine points with five boards and Jasmine Jones had six points to go along with two steals and two blocks.
 
Senior Bree Alford did a little bit of everything on the night, posting her first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds in addition to four assists and one steal. Stanley nearly tallied a double-double of her own, finishing with 11 points, nine boards and two blocks. Senior Andee Velasco dished out a team-high five assists with six points.
 
Cierra Belvin and Jasmine Jones each chipped in nine points. Jones added four rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
 
The Lions outrebounded the Gauchos 43-30 and outscored them 30-22 in the paint in the win. LMU's largest lead of the night was 21 points at the 7:35 mark of the third quarter.

Following tonight's victory, the Lions return home to host the team's annual Thanksgiving Classic Friday and Saturday, Nov. 23-24. LMU hosts Northern Arizona, Robert Morris and SMU in the two-day tournament.