Saturday, January 17
Bakersfield, CA
7:00 PM
UC Riverside
64
at
63
CSU Bakersfield
Rudy Meo’s Clutch Free Throws Give Highlanders 64-63 Win
1/17/2009 4:01:09 PM | Men's Basketball
(Bakersfield, CA) – It wasn’t easy, but the UC Riverside’s Men’s Basketball Team got back to its winning ways Saturday with a 64-63 win at CSU Bakersfield. After leading by as many as seven points during the game, the Highlanders (10-7) found themselves down one with the ball and seven seconds left on the clock. Rudy Meo, who had already scored a career-high 17 points on the night, drove towards the basket, drew contact and went to the line for a one-and-one.
Minutes earlier, Meo had split a pair of freebies that would have given the Highlanders a two-point lead. This time, however, he nailed both free throws and UCR’s defense did the job for the final 5.2 seconds to give the Highlanders the win.
At the start of the game, the Roadrunners bounced out to a seven-point lead, 15-8, behind five points each from Trent Blakely and Terrence Johns. However, the Highlanders began to find their groove on offense late in the period going on a 15-5 run to take a four-point lead with 4:53 to go before the break. A Jaloni Diggs jumper with 1:05 left in the period gave UCR a six-point advantage that they took into the locker room.
Jesse LeBou was a perfect 3 for 3 from the field in the period for nine points while Meo, playing just his fourth game of the year due to an injury in the preseason, added 7 in the period.
CSU Bakersfield opened the second half scoring nine of the first 11 points to take a one-point lead, and the team’s traded baskets until the 11:15 mark when the Highlanders went on a 10-2 run to open up a seven-point edge.
UCR still led by seven with 6:58 to go, but Blakely scored six straight points and Alex Johnson nailed two free throws allowing the Roadrunners to retake the lead, 58-57 with four minutes to play.
Three minutes later, the Highlanders had the ball with the score tied at 61. Rudy Meo drove the lane with the shot clock on his back and picked up a foul to set up a one-and-one. He made the first but was short on the second and UCR led 62-61.
CSUB called time out with 33.4 seconds remaining on the clock and 19 on the shot clock. On the subsequent play Latunde Santwon connected from inside the paint and was fouled on the play. He missed the free throw, however, and with 17.7 remaining, the Highlanders found themselves with the ball and down a point.
Following a UCR timeout, Kyle Austin took the ball into the lane, but had his shot blocked out of bounds. There were still seven seconds remaining however, and Meo took over from there.
The Highlanders have a week off before traveling to Long Beach State on January 24 for a 7 pm tip against the Beach.
NOTES
UC Riverside finishes the 2008-09 regular season 8-4 against non-conference opponents including 3-4 on the road. The Highlanders were 5-9 against non-conference competition a year ago including 0-7 away from the Student Recreation Center.
Minutes earlier, Meo had split a pair of freebies that would have given the Highlanders a two-point lead. This time, however, he nailed both free throws and UCR’s defense did the job for the final 5.2 seconds to give the Highlanders the win.
At the start of the game, the Roadrunners bounced out to a seven-point lead, 15-8, behind five points each from Trent Blakely and Terrence Johns. However, the Highlanders began to find their groove on offense late in the period going on a 15-5 run to take a four-point lead with 4:53 to go before the break. A Jaloni Diggs jumper with 1:05 left in the period gave UCR a six-point advantage that they took into the locker room.
Jesse LeBou was a perfect 3 for 3 from the field in the period for nine points while Meo, playing just his fourth game of the year due to an injury in the preseason, added 7 in the period.
CSU Bakersfield opened the second half scoring nine of the first 11 points to take a one-point lead, and the team’s traded baskets until the 11:15 mark when the Highlanders went on a 10-2 run to open up a seven-point edge.
UCR still led by seven with 6:58 to go, but Blakely scored six straight points and Alex Johnson nailed two free throws allowing the Roadrunners to retake the lead, 58-57 with four minutes to play.
Three minutes later, the Highlanders had the ball with the score tied at 61. Rudy Meo drove the lane with the shot clock on his back and picked up a foul to set up a one-and-one. He made the first but was short on the second and UCR led 62-61.
CSUB called time out with 33.4 seconds remaining on the clock and 19 on the shot clock. On the subsequent play Latunde Santwon connected from inside the paint and was fouled on the play. He missed the free throw, however, and with 17.7 remaining, the Highlanders found themselves with the ball and down a point.
Following a UCR timeout, Kyle Austin took the ball into the lane, but had his shot blocked out of bounds. There were still seven seconds remaining however, and Meo took over from there.
The Highlanders have a week off before traveling to Long Beach State on January 24 for a 7 pm tip against the Beach.
NOTES
UC Riverside finishes the 2008-09 regular season 8-4 against non-conference opponents including 3-4 on the road. The Highlanders were 5-9 against non-conference competition a year ago including 0-7 away from the Student Recreation Center.
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