Wednesday, January 16
Riverside, CA
7:05 PM
UC Riverside
62
vs
66
Cal State Northridge
Men's Basketball Can't Hold Off Cal State Northridge In 66-62 Loss
1/16/2008 1:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Riverside—UC Riverside dropped a hard fought game to the Cal State Northridge Matadors 66-62 at the Student Rec Center Wednesday night. Junior Cleavon Barlow finished with a game-high 20 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds for the Highlanders who fall to 3-12 overall and 0-4 in the Big West.
The first place Matadors (13-3, 5-0 Big West) used the three-ball to erase an 11-point lead once held by UCR late in the first half. Deon Tresvant did most of the damage for CSUN, finishing with 20 points after knocking down 6-of-11 shots from long distance. Northridge finished with 12-of-25 three's made which proved to be the difference as the Highlanders could only get 3-of-14 attempts from long range to fall.
For the first team all season the shots finally fell for the young UCR squad, who finished the first 20 minutes shooting a season-best 14-of-23 (60.9%). The Highlanders held leads for nearly the entire first half and opened up their largest lead, 21-11 after a sophomore Sean Cunningham three at the 10:21 mark. The hot shooting continued as junior Chris Johnson's jumper from the right wing gave UCR a 33-24 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the half. The Matadors answered though, using two three's from Rob Haynes to close out the half on a 10-1 run to erase the Highlander double-digit lead and send the two teams into the break tied at 34-34.
Through the first 20 minutes, UCR had won the battle on the boards 20-15 and also outscored CSUN in the paint 20-5. Barlow led all scorers at the half with 15 points mainly by attacking the basket in the early minutes.
A tough second half of shooting greeted the Highlanders after the break, shooting 10-of-29 (34.5%) in the second period. Even with the stingy UC Riverside defense swarming to the ball, making eight steals and forcing 13 turnovers, the Matadors hit the shot when it counted and eventually overcame the Highlander pressure.
With 7:41 remaining in the game, freshman Jalonni Diggs beat a Northridge defender on the baseline and laid one up and in to give UCR a 50-45 lead. Both teams continued to trade baskets for the next three minutes before a three by Tresvant at the 4:30 mark answered a lay-up by junior Aaron Scott that had given UCR a two point lead, 54-52 the possession earlier. Tresvant's three started a 9-3 run, ending with a Tremaine Townsend layup that put CSUN up 66-57 with 52 seconds left. Senior Larry Cunningham made a couple free-throws and then hit his own three to cut to 66-62 but the Matadors were able to hold onto the ball and run out the clock.
Barlow finished with 20 points after sustaining a hip injury after crashing to floor after a Matador had fouled him during a layup attempt early in the second half. Scott added 11 points and six rebounds and Sean Cunningham chipped in with seven points, seven boards, and dished out six assists in the losing effort.
UCR closes out their three-game homestand when Long Beach State comes to the Student Rec Center on Saturday. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m.
The first place Matadors (13-3, 5-0 Big West) used the three-ball to erase an 11-point lead once held by UCR late in the first half. Deon Tresvant did most of the damage for CSUN, finishing with 20 points after knocking down 6-of-11 shots from long distance. Northridge finished with 12-of-25 three's made which proved to be the difference as the Highlanders could only get 3-of-14 attempts from long range to fall.
For the first team all season the shots finally fell for the young UCR squad, who finished the first 20 minutes shooting a season-best 14-of-23 (60.9%). The Highlanders held leads for nearly the entire first half and opened up their largest lead, 21-11 after a sophomore Sean Cunningham three at the 10:21 mark. The hot shooting continued as junior Chris Johnson's jumper from the right wing gave UCR a 33-24 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the half. The Matadors answered though, using two three's from Rob Haynes to close out the half on a 10-1 run to erase the Highlander double-digit lead and send the two teams into the break tied at 34-34.
Through the first 20 minutes, UCR had won the battle on the boards 20-15 and also outscored CSUN in the paint 20-5. Barlow led all scorers at the half with 15 points mainly by attacking the basket in the early minutes.
A tough second half of shooting greeted the Highlanders after the break, shooting 10-of-29 (34.5%) in the second period. Even with the stingy UC Riverside defense swarming to the ball, making eight steals and forcing 13 turnovers, the Matadors hit the shot when it counted and eventually overcame the Highlander pressure.
With 7:41 remaining in the game, freshman Jalonni Diggs beat a Northridge defender on the baseline and laid one up and in to give UCR a 50-45 lead. Both teams continued to trade baskets for the next three minutes before a three by Tresvant at the 4:30 mark answered a lay-up by junior Aaron Scott that had given UCR a two point lead, 54-52 the possession earlier. Tresvant's three started a 9-3 run, ending with a Tremaine Townsend layup that put CSUN up 66-57 with 52 seconds left. Senior Larry Cunningham made a couple free-throws and then hit his own three to cut to 66-62 but the Matadors were able to hold onto the ball and run out the clock.
Barlow finished with 20 points after sustaining a hip injury after crashing to floor after a Matador had fouled him during a layup attempt early in the second half. Scott added 11 points and six rebounds and Sean Cunningham chipped in with seven points, seven boards, and dished out six assists in the losing effort.
UCR closes out their three-game homestand when Long Beach State comes to the Student Rec Center on Saturday. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m.
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