Friday, March 13
Anaheim, CA
2:30 PM
University of California, Riverside
57
vs
58
Cal Poly (Semifinals)
Roney Friend scored a game-high 16 points in the Highlanders loss to Cal Poly.
Photo by: Bobby R. Hester, (c) 2009
Mustangs Last Second Shot Bounces Highlanders From Big West Tournament
3/13/2009 2:19:09 PM | Women's Basketball
Cal Poly 58, UC Riverside 57 - Box Score
Anaheim, CA - Cal Poly's Kristina Santiago connected on a layup with one second remaining to give the Mustangs a 58-57 come-from-behind win over the UC Riverside women's basketball team (19-11) in the semifinals at the Big West Basketball Tournament on Friday afternoon at the Anaheim Convention Center. Cal Poly (21-10) moves on to the championship game against UC Santa Barbara on Saturday afternoon, while UC Riverside's future will be determined by the outcome of the Cal Poly and UCSB game. If UCSB wins, the Highlanders will get an automatic bid to the Women's National Invitational Tournament, but if Cal Poly wins, UCSB goes to the WNIT and UCR's season is over.
The Highlanders had an eight point lead, 55-47, with 7:05 remaining in the game, but Cal Poly slowly rattled off a 9-2 run and pulled to within one, 57-56, with 1:16 to go. Roney Friend was fouled with 38 seconds to go, but could not convert the one-and-one free throw. After a missed three-point attempt by the Mustangs, Chanel Foster was fouled with eight seconds to go, but she too could not connect on the one-and-one free throw opportunity.
Cal Poly's Becky Tratter then pulled down the rebound and threw a pass to a streaking Santiago at the other end of the court. Santiago layed the ball in the hole with one second to spare, and UCR's last second hail mary was off the mark.
The Highlanders hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years fell short in the last eight seconds of play on Friday. UCR only scored two points in the last seven minutes of play as the Mustangs picked up their first win over the Highlanders this season.
Friend led all scorers with 16 points while Seyram Gbewonyo added 11. Kemie Nkele was just shy of her seventh double-double on the year as she collected 10 points and nine rebounds.
UCR never led by more than two points the entire first half as the two teams battled back and forth, exemplified by eight tie scores and eight lead changes within the first 20 minutes of play. The Highlanders took their first lead of the game, 8-6, off a Gbewonyo layup at the 14:41 mark. Cal Poly then used a 8-0 run to lead 14-8, and they pushed it out to 20-13 with nine minutes remaining. UCR countered by rattling off eight straight points, six of which came from Nkele, to take a short-lived 21-20 lead. The Mustangs retook the lead in the next possession as both squads entered the locker rooms knotted at 30 apiece.
UCR opened up the second half on a 5-0 run on a Friend layup and a Foster three-point play to lead 35-30 with 19:14 remaining. Cal Poly then countered by pulling within one, 41-40 at the 16:26 mark. The teams then kept things close until the Highlanders opened up a 55-47 lead off two straight Alyssa Morris jumpers with 7:05 remaining.
Check back to gohighlanders.com for the lastest information and updates about the Highlanders postseason fate.
Anaheim, CA - Cal Poly's Kristina Santiago connected on a layup with one second remaining to give the Mustangs a 58-57 come-from-behind win over the UC Riverside women's basketball team (19-11) in the semifinals at the Big West Basketball Tournament on Friday afternoon at the Anaheim Convention Center. Cal Poly (21-10) moves on to the championship game against UC Santa Barbara on Saturday afternoon, while UC Riverside's future will be determined by the outcome of the Cal Poly and UCSB game. If UCSB wins, the Highlanders will get an automatic bid to the Women's National Invitational Tournament, but if Cal Poly wins, UCSB goes to the WNIT and UCR's season is over.
The Highlanders had an eight point lead, 55-47, with 7:05 remaining in the game, but Cal Poly slowly rattled off a 9-2 run and pulled to within one, 57-56, with 1:16 to go. Roney Friend was fouled with 38 seconds to go, but could not convert the one-and-one free throw. After a missed three-point attempt by the Mustangs, Chanel Foster was fouled with eight seconds to go, but she too could not connect on the one-and-one free throw opportunity.
Cal Poly's Becky Tratter then pulled down the rebound and threw a pass to a streaking Santiago at the other end of the court. Santiago layed the ball in the hole with one second to spare, and UCR's last second hail mary was off the mark.
The Highlanders hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years fell short in the last eight seconds of play on Friday. UCR only scored two points in the last seven minutes of play as the Mustangs picked up their first win over the Highlanders this season.
Friend led all scorers with 16 points while Seyram Gbewonyo added 11. Kemie Nkele was just shy of her seventh double-double on the year as she collected 10 points and nine rebounds.
UCR never led by more than two points the entire first half as the two teams battled back and forth, exemplified by eight tie scores and eight lead changes within the first 20 minutes of play. The Highlanders took their first lead of the game, 8-6, off a Gbewonyo layup at the 14:41 mark. Cal Poly then used a 8-0 run to lead 14-8, and they pushed it out to 20-13 with nine minutes remaining. UCR countered by rattling off eight straight points, six of which came from Nkele, to take a short-lived 21-20 lead. The Mustangs retook the lead in the next possession as both squads entered the locker rooms knotted at 30 apiece.
UCR opened up the second half on a 5-0 run on a Friend layup and a Foster three-point play to lead 35-30 with 19:14 remaining. Cal Poly then countered by pulling within one, 41-40 at the 16:26 mark. The teams then kept things close until the Highlanders opened up a 55-47 lead off two straight Alyssa Morris jumpers with 7:05 remaining.
Check back to gohighlanders.com for the lastest information and updates about the Highlanders postseason fate.
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UCR Student-Athletes cheer on our students.
Friday, May 01
UCR Athletics Director Introductory Full Press Conference
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Athletics Director Greg Paules Introductory Presentation Recap
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