Women's Hoops Falls 75-60 At #18 Vanderbilt

Friday, November 20

Nashville, TN

5:00 pm

University of California, Riverside

Vanderbilt (#18)

Women's Hoops Falls 75-60 At #18 Vanderbilt

11/20/2009 4:35:56 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score - #18 Vanderbilt 75, UC Riverside 60

Nashville, TN - Three players scored in double-figures for the UC Riverside women's basketball team on Friday, but it wasn't enough as the No. 18 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores (3-0) earned a 75-60 victory over the visiting Highlanders (1-3) at Memorial Gym.

Senior Marissa Rivera (pictured) and junior Rhaya Neabors led UCR with 13 points apiece while senior Amber Cox added 11. Jence Rhoads had 14 for the Commodores while Hannah Tuomi added 11.

Down 38-18 after the first half, UCR outscored the Commodores 42-37 in the second half, shooting 50.0 percent (7-of-14) from three-point land and over 40.0 percent from the field.

Rivera scored nine of her 13 points in the second, including the first two buckets to start the period.

The Commodores, averaging 90.0 points per game in their previous two contests, were limited to 75 on the night, their lowest total of the season. UC Riverside also forced 23 Commodore turnovers, their highest total on the young season.

In the first, the Commodores struck first with a three-pointer just eight seconds into the game, but a Rheya Neabors long ball a minute later tied things at three. UCR then took their first and only lead of the game, 7-5, off a Rhaya Neabors layup at 16:43.

Vanderbilt then opened up a five point advantage, 14-9, at the 13:29 mark before the Highlanders rallied for four straight on a Cox layup and Rheya Neabors jumper to get within one, 14-13.

However, the Commodores, who shot over 50.0 percent from the field in the first, went on a 24-5 run to close out the first half as they headed into the break up 38-18.

The Highlanders shot 33.3 percent from the field and just 1-of-10 from beyond the arc in the first period, while their 18 points scored is the lowest one-half tally since scoring 16 in the first half at UC Davis on Feb. 7, 2009.

Last season, UC Riverside upset then-No. 16 Vanderbilt 50-47 at the Student Recreation Center, marking their first win over a ranked opponent in their Division I history.

The Highlanders return to the Golden State for a 7:00 pm tip at Pepperdine on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Fans may tune in to the Voice Of The Highlanders, Ghizal Hasan, as he calls the game right here at gohighlanders.com.