UCR Punches Ticket To Championship Game Saturday With Win In Semis

Friday, March 12

Anaheim, CA

2:15 PM

University of California, Riverside

Cal Poly (Semifinals)

UCR Punches Ticket To Championship Game Saturday With Win In Semis

3/12/2010 2:14:41 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score - UC Riverside 54, Cal Poly 51

Anaheim, CA - The No. 3 seeded UC Riverside women's basketball team punched its ticket to the Big West Conference Tournament championship game on Saturday afternoon after a 54-51 victory over No. 2 seeded Cal Poly on Friday afternoon at the Anaheim Convention Center in the tournament semifinals. The Highlanders will face UC Davis in the championship game on Saturday at 1:00 pm. It will be the third championship game for the Highlanders in the last five years, as the team won the tournament in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.

UC Riverside overcame a 12-point first-half deficit by increasing its defensive intensity and knocking down some key shots to come away with the victory. Brittany Waddell led UCR with 12 points while Amber Cox and Rheya Neabors (pictured) each added 11. Cal Poly's Rachel Clancy led all players with 14 points while Kristina Santiago added 13.

UCR led early on at 5-4 after an Alyssa Morris jumper, but the Mustangs limited the Highlanders to just two points over the next six minutes as they opened a 19-7 advantage capped off by two consecutive three pointers.

The Highlanders rallied for six straight points off a Waddell three-pointer, a jumper in the paint from Tre'Shonti Nottingham, and a Neabors free throw at the 8:43 mark to cut the lead to 19-13.

Cal Poly countered with five straight to push the lead back to double-digits, 24-13, with 6:17 remaining, but UCR again rallied to close the gap. The Highlanders scored nine consecutive points to cut the lead down to two, 24-22, at the 4:49 mark off two Cox three-pointers sandwiched between a Morris three-point play.

After two CP free throws, another long ball by the Highlanders made it a one-point game, and a Nottingham layup on the next possession gave UCR its first lead of the game since the first few minutes, 27-26.

The teams headed into the half knotted at 28 all, despite the fact that UC Riverside shot just 30.3 percent from the field compared to 52.4 percent for the Mustangs.

The Highlanders opened the second half on a continuation from the first period, quickly scoring six straight within two minutes of play to lead 34-28.

UCR then extended its lead out to 10 at the 10:59 mark off a Neabors three-pointer, but a 10-0 Mustang rally tied the game at 44 all with six and a half minutes to go.

UC Riverside responded with four straight buckets, capped off by a Waddell jumper, to lead 52-44 with 1:59 remaining, and again at 54-46 with 1:19 to go. The Mustangs made a final push over the last minute of play, however, hitting a three-pointer and a jumper to get within three, 54-51, with 0:33 seconds to go.

The Highlanders had the ball on the last possession, but a turnover by Morris with four seconds remaining gave the Mustangs one last shot to send the game into overtime. Brittany Lange fired a three-pointer with one second to go, but it clanged off the iron as the buzzer sounded, giving UCR the upset victory and sending them to the championship game.

The Highlanders shot 34.5 percent from the field for the game while the Mustangs shot 45.7 percent. UCR forced 19 Cal Poly turnovers, resulting in 18 points, and also had 11 second chance points compared to just three for the Mustangs.

UC Riverside will face UC Davis in the championship game on Saturday at 1:00 pm. It will be the third championship game for the Highlanders in the last five years, as the team won the tournament in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. Fans not able to make it to the game can watch the team live on Fox Sports Net Primeticket, or listen to the Voice of the Highlanders, Ghizal Hasan, as he calls the game live on gohighlanders.com beginning at 12:55 pm.