Riverside–Simone DeCoud scored 23 points, Lauren Holt had 16, and Michelle Curry posted a double-double, but the Highlanders could match the depth of Long Beach State in their, 73-66, home loss to the 49ers.

The Highlanders got 52 of their 66 points from the aforementioned Curry, DeCoud and Holt. Adaora Obi poured in a career-high eight points in 12 minutes, while Clemence Lefebvre and Malou De Kergret added three apiece Thursday night. The Beach by contrast, had 10 of the 12 players that saw game action scored.

UC Riverside carried a 36-32 lead into the locker room, after outscoring the Beach 20-14 in the second period.

DeCoud had seven points in the third, however the Highlanders would commit six turnovers to just one assist in the frame. Anna Kim scored eight of her team-leading 19 points in third to help the visitors tie the game heading into the fourth 50-50.

To start the fourth, Long Beach had a 7-2 spurt over the first 51 seconds of play, causing Coach Margartitis to call for time. Coming out of the stoppage, Curry responded with back-to-back buckets to make it a one-point game, 57-56. Trailing by two, 65-63, just above the three minute mark, Curry picked up her fifth foul on a Kim three-point attempt. Kim would make all three shots.

Obi collected one of her five boards in the quarter on a DeCoud miss, and put it back up and in for two of her seven fourth quarter points. Coming out of timeout, Jessica Gertz hit a three from the top of the key to put the Beach up six, 71-65. The Highlanders committed two of their 20 turnovers in the game on consecutive possessions as Long Beach State went on to claim the 73-66, victory and sole possession of second place in the Big West Standings.

UC Riverside will head to CSUN on Saturday at 4 pm to complete the season with the Matadors, who are now a half game ahead of the Highlanders in the loss column at 9-4.