Pepperdine's Hot Shooting A Dagger In 81-68 Defeat Of Women's Basketball

Friday, December 6

Riverside, CA

7:00 pm

University of California, Riverside

4-4

Pepperdine

3-6

Team	1	2	F
Pepperdine	38	43	81
UC Riverside	31	37	68

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Pepperdine's Hot Shooting A Dagger In 81-68 Defeat Of Women's Basketball

12/6/2013 5:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

View the recap video

Riverside, CA - The UC Riverside Women's Basketball Team (4-4) dropped an 81-68 decision to Pepperdine Friday evening, shooting just 34.4 percent from the field while allowing the Waves (3-6) to hit 54.0 percent (Box Score).

Pepperdine outscored the Highlanders by seven at the break, and although UCR cut the lead to two midway through the second period, the Waves closed out the game for the 13-point victory.

Bria Richardson led all players with 31 points while Brittany Crain scored 21 to lead four UC Riverside players in double-figures.

The Highlanders took an early 6-2 lead after a minute and a half of play, but were outscored 14-2 over the next four minutes as the Waves took a 16-8 advantage. UCR cut the lead to four at the 11:07 mark, 20-16, but Pepperdine again rallied scoring 11 of the next 13 points to open up a 13-point lead, 31-18, with 7:49 to go in the half.

The Highlanders countered with six straight, four of them by Natasha Hadley, as the lead went back to seven, 31-24, with just under five to go. The teams traded buckets to close out the half, as the Waves took the seven-point advantage into the break.

Pepperdine hit 52.0 percent from the field while holding the Highlanders to 37.9 percent shooting in the period.

In the second half, UCR's offense came to life as they cut the lead to two, 51-49, following five straight points--three from Kiara Harewood and two from Crain--with 10:24 to go. But Pepperdine scored eight of the next 10 points to push the lead back to eight, 59-51, with 7:27 remaining.

The Highlanders closed to two possessions on three more occasions, but the Waves made it a double-digit lead with four and a half to play, and cruised to the 13-point win.

UC Riverside takes a break from competition for finals week, and returns to action at Gonzaga on Monday, December 16 at 6 pm PT in Spokane, Washington.