MCurryvsCSUN

Women's Basketball

Curry Scores 24, Crain 21, In 83-76 Victory Over CSUN

Box Score  
Riverside—For the second game in a row the UC Riverside Women's Basketball team was in a battle that came down to the final minutes of the game.

Michelle Curry scored a career-high 24 points in leading the Highlanders to an, 83-76, win over visiting CSUN (5-18, 3-6).(post-game interview)

The Matadors came out in a trapping defense to start the game in an attempt to speed up the tempo for the eight women available for the Highlanders. UCR (15-7, 8-0) remained calm throughout the quarter, shooting 62.5 percent from the field and committing just two turnovers, compared to five by the visitors.

The first period would end with the Highlanders leading 22-20—they would also outscore the Matadors by two in the second to go the intermission leading, 36-32.

Curry was a perfect 4-4 from the field and 2-3 from the charity stripe in amassing 10 points. Brittany Crain also had 10 points in the half.
Channon Fluker led the Matadors with eight points and nine rebounds through two quarters played.
 
In the third period with 3:35 to play leading 51-43, the Highlanders went on a mini 7-1 run to put more distance between them and the Matadors. Curry started the run with a jumper and Akilah Martin hit a three from the right wing to cap it.

The 14 point lead would be the largest of the game.

Early in the fourth, CSUN got back-to-back threes from Katelin King to cut the Highlander margin to eight at, 62-54.

The teams traded baskets for majority of the period, until King connected on her third of five three point makes in the quarter to make it just a three point margin for UCR at 73-70.

Following a pair of Curry free throws, Rejane Verin knocked down mid-range jumper for two of her eight final frame points. CSUN would cut it to three, but got no closer, as the Highlanders held on for the, 83-76, win.

Curry's career-high 24 points led all scorers. Crain poured in 21 and Verin had 16 points, nine rebounds to go with her season-high tying five steals.
Crain also connected on 1 of 4 three point attempts to match the all-time UCR mark of 212 set by Casandra Reeves.

Fluker recorded a 20-point, 17-rebound double double in the loss for the Matadors, who also got 17 points from King. She connected on 5-of-6 from long distance in the fourth quarter.

The UC Riverside Women's Basketball team hits the road for two games, Thursday, February 11 (7pm) at Cal State Fullerton and Saturday the 13th at Cal Poly (4pm).