Box Score Honolulu, HI—One of two streaks had to come to an end on Saturday night, fortunately for the UC Riverside Women's Basketball team it was their streak of seven straight losses against Hawai'i.
UC Riverside (11-7, 4-0) got 31 points from Brittany Crain that led four players in double figures in a, 77-74, win that extended their overall winning to streak to five games, and their Big West streak to four games.
With 6:35 to play in the second period the UCR trailed 21-18, when Annelise Ito converted an old fashioned three-point play to tie the game.
It was the third tie in a game that would feature 10 of them on the evening. Rejane Verin followed with a jumper to give the Highlanders their first lead of the game.
Hawai'i (9-8, 2-2) responded with a three pointer by Olivia Crawford to jump back in front, 24-23.
Later in the second period with the score 31-30, Simone DeCoud stole the ball and made a layup at the other end to give the Highlanders the lead. That lead would last just seconds as the Rainbow Wahine again responded from long distance to reclaim the lead, 34-32.
The hosts would maintain that two point lead going into the intermission, 36-34. Crain had ten points at the break, Ito and Verin scored seven apiece. Destiny King led Hawai'i with 10.
Verin made layup to open the third frame, then Hawai'I scored seven points in a row to match their largest lead of the game, 43-36.
Still trailing at the 1:59 mark, 54-48, UCR made a 7-0 run of their own, capped by a Verin controlled tip offensive rebound to a wide open Crain, who knocked down a three from straight away as time expired in the third quarter.
With the scored knotted at 71 in the final period, Michelle Curry drove the lane and made an off balance layup that gave UC Riverside a lead they would not relinquish.
They went a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line in fourth period, and shot 90 percent (18-20) for the game. The Highlanders would hold off the attempt of late heroics by the home team, and claim the 77-74 victory.
The win was first time in the history of the program UCR defeated Hawai'i, home or away.
Crain bounced back from a seven point output in a win at Long Beach State to register her 11th career 30 point plus game. She was an efficient 11 for 17 from the field, including 3-of-6 from deep, which moved her just seven made threes away from tying Casandra Reeves (01-05) for the all-time record of 212.
Curry scored 12 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out four assists. Verin was just a rebound shy from logging back-to-back double doubles, with 11 points and nine boards, while Ito and DeCoud scored 11 apiece in the win.
Destiny King led the Rainbow Wahine with 24 points, Crawford had 13, and Briana Harris chipped in 11.
The UC Riverside Women's Basketball team has just one game next week—Saturday, January 23 against UC Santa Barbara at 7 pm in the SRC Arena.
