Saturday, November 24
Spokane, WA
7:00 pm
University of California, Riverside
56
vs
55
Idaho
Game-Winner From Gates Nets Men's Basketball First Win Of Season
11/24/2007 8:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Riverside—The UC Riverside Men's basketball team rallied back after trailing by nine with six minutes left to beat the University of Idaho 56-55 at the UCR Recreation Center Saturday night. Junior Severin Gates finished with a game-high 18 points including the game-winning layup with five seconds left for the Highlanders who improve to 1-4 on the season.
Gates scored 10 of UCR's final 14 points as the Highlanders used a 14-4 run in the final six minutes to give Jim Wooldridge his first victory as head coach. UCR shot 11-23 (47.8%) from the field and outscored the Vandals (1-3) 29-20 in the second half to overcome a nine point half-time deficit.
The Highlanders came out hot to start their home-opener, building a 18-9 lead at the 9:10 mark in the first half. The Vandals answered UCR's tempo and produced a 26-9 run of their own to close out the final nine minutes and took a 35-27 into the break.
It was the shooting that gave Idaho the lead through the first 20 minutes. The Vandals fired up 29 shots, finishing 14-29 (48.3%) but the Highlanders were doing the exact opposite. UCR kept on passing up open look after open look, taking only 16 shots finishing, 9-16 (56.3%). They were attacking the basket however, reaching the free throw line 17 times but failing to take advantage making 8-17 (47.1%). The Vandals relied mostly on their outside shooting, launching 13 shots from three-point land, finishing the half 6 of 13 (46.2%).
Idaho went up by 10, 39-29, three minutes into second half, but UCR answered back with a small 7-2 run capped by sophomore Sean Cunningham's three pointer to cut the Vandal lead to 41-36. Both teams struggled to score and the pace of the game slowed down for most of the second half. Both squads scored only eight points by way of free-throws over the next six minutes.
UCR came alive with just over six minutes to play. Trailing 51-42, Gates started the Highlander run, his two baskets were followed by junior Aaron Scott's layup and then another Gates jumper erased another Vandal 10 point lead and make it 53-50 Idaho with three minutes remaining. Another Scott layup followed from a Gates pass made it 53-52.
The Vandals then made one of two from the line to open up a two-point lead. On the following UCR possession, Cunningham dribbled into the lane and dished out to Gates who knocked down his jumper from the right wing to tie it at 54-54 with two minutes left on the clock.
Neither team could get a shot to fall over the next minute but Idaho received a break as sophomore Charles Jim-George was whistled for a hand-check on Trevor Morris. Morris made one-of-two from the line to give Idaho a 55-54 advantage with 32 seconds remaining.
The Highlanders continued to move the ball around the floor just as they had in the second half to cut the Idaho lead. Another set of clean crisp passes eventually found the hands of Gates, he then drove the right side of the line and beat a couple Vandal defenders with a lay up off the glass to put UCR on top 56-55. Idaho raced the length of the floor in the closing seconds but their shot went wide to give the Highlanders the win.
The difference in the second half was the attacking of the rim by UCR who finished 11-23 (47.8%) from the floor in the second half to shoot 51.3% on the night. Gates finished 8-12 from the field and also brought down a game-high nine rebounds. Sean Cunningham added 11 points and senior Larry Cunningham finished with nine points.
The Highlanders are at home for one more game, hosting Hope International on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
Gates scored 10 of UCR's final 14 points as the Highlanders used a 14-4 run in the final six minutes to give Jim Wooldridge his first victory as head coach. UCR shot 11-23 (47.8%) from the field and outscored the Vandals (1-3) 29-20 in the second half to overcome a nine point half-time deficit.
The Highlanders came out hot to start their home-opener, building a 18-9 lead at the 9:10 mark in the first half. The Vandals answered UCR's tempo and produced a 26-9 run of their own to close out the final nine minutes and took a 35-27 into the break.
It was the shooting that gave Idaho the lead through the first 20 minutes. The Vandals fired up 29 shots, finishing 14-29 (48.3%) but the Highlanders were doing the exact opposite. UCR kept on passing up open look after open look, taking only 16 shots finishing, 9-16 (56.3%). They were attacking the basket however, reaching the free throw line 17 times but failing to take advantage making 8-17 (47.1%). The Vandals relied mostly on their outside shooting, launching 13 shots from three-point land, finishing the half 6 of 13 (46.2%).
Idaho went up by 10, 39-29, three minutes into second half, but UCR answered back with a small 7-2 run capped by sophomore Sean Cunningham's three pointer to cut the Vandal lead to 41-36. Both teams struggled to score and the pace of the game slowed down for most of the second half. Both squads scored only eight points by way of free-throws over the next six minutes.
UCR came alive with just over six minutes to play. Trailing 51-42, Gates started the Highlander run, his two baskets were followed by junior Aaron Scott's layup and then another Gates jumper erased another Vandal 10 point lead and make it 53-50 Idaho with three minutes remaining. Another Scott layup followed from a Gates pass made it 53-52.
The Vandals then made one of two from the line to open up a two-point lead. On the following UCR possession, Cunningham dribbled into the lane and dished out to Gates who knocked down his jumper from the right wing to tie it at 54-54 with two minutes left on the clock.
Neither team could get a shot to fall over the next minute but Idaho received a break as sophomore Charles Jim-George was whistled for a hand-check on Trevor Morris. Morris made one-of-two from the line to give Idaho a 55-54 advantage with 32 seconds remaining.
The Highlanders continued to move the ball around the floor just as they had in the second half to cut the Idaho lead. Another set of clean crisp passes eventually found the hands of Gates, he then drove the right side of the line and beat a couple Vandal defenders with a lay up off the glass to put UCR on top 56-55. Idaho raced the length of the floor in the closing seconds but their shot went wide to give the Highlanders the win.
The difference in the second half was the attacking of the rim by UCR who finished 11-23 (47.8%) from the floor in the second half to shoot 51.3% on the night. Gates finished 8-12 from the field and also brought down a game-high nine rebounds. Sean Cunningham added 11 points and senior Larry Cunningham finished with nine points.
The Highlanders are at home for one more game, hosting Hope International on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
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