Saturday, February 21
San Jose, CA
7:00 PM
UC Riverside
53
at
52
San Jose State
Photo by: Bobby R. Hester, (c) 2009
Highlanders Win ESPNU Bracket Buster, 53-52, Over San Jose State
2/21/2009 7:07:55 PM | Men's Basketball
UC Riverside 53, San Jose State 52 - Box Score
The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team picked up a 53-52 non-conference win over San Jose State Saturday evening in their 2009 ESPNU BracketBuster game. It wasn't the prettiest win ever recorded, but it was the Highlanders 15th of the season - a total the program hasn't reached since the 1999-2000 season when they finished the year 15-12. Kyle Austin and Javon Borum each scored 15 points for the Highlanders who are now 8-1 in games decided by 5 points or less on the year.
After a back-and forth contest which featured six ties and seven lead changes, the Highlanders found themselves up 53-46 following an Austin jumper with 5:05 remaining. Over their final eight possessions, UCR missed two field goals, two free throws and turned the ball over four times. That left an opening for the Spartans who ended the game on a 6-0 run and had the ball with 15 seconds left on the clock. But Adrian Oliver's jumper with two seconds remaining came up short, and Christian Soto secured the rebound and the win for the Highlanders.
UCR got off to a rough start even before the opening tip when they found out they would be without the services of senior Aaron Scott who tweaked his knee in pregame warm-ups. They kept things close in the early going, however, and a 10-0 Highlanders' run turned an 18-14 deficit with 9:24 remaining into a 24-18 lead with 5:33 to go. UCR was able to maintain most of that advantage heading into the locker room up 31-26.
The Spartans came out of the locker room with a renewed sense of purpose opening the frame on an 8-0 run to take a 34-31 lead. That forced Highlanders Head Coach Jim Wooldridge to call time out with 3:08 gone in the second. The team's traded mini-runs for the next nine minutes and with 6:11 left on the clock the Highlanders held their biggest lead of the night at 51-43. A three by San Jose State's Tim Pierce preceded Austin's basket with 5:05 to go setting up the final hectic possessions.
In addition to being without Scott for the entire evening, the Highlanders lost Borum for a stretch late in the game after his left leg cramped up following a made three-pointer at the 7:30 mark. He would return to the game two minutes later, however, and played the rest of the game
The Highlanders return to Big West Conference play this Thursday, February 26 at home against Cal State Fullerton. It is the home finale for UCR, and the team will honor its two seniors, Scott and Soto, prior to tip at approximately 6:45 pm
The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team picked up a 53-52 non-conference win over San Jose State Saturday evening in their 2009 ESPNU BracketBuster game. It wasn't the prettiest win ever recorded, but it was the Highlanders 15th of the season - a total the program hasn't reached since the 1999-2000 season when they finished the year 15-12. Kyle Austin and Javon Borum each scored 15 points for the Highlanders who are now 8-1 in games decided by 5 points or less on the year.
After a back-and forth contest which featured six ties and seven lead changes, the Highlanders found themselves up 53-46 following an Austin jumper with 5:05 remaining. Over their final eight possessions, UCR missed two field goals, two free throws and turned the ball over four times. That left an opening for the Spartans who ended the game on a 6-0 run and had the ball with 15 seconds left on the clock. But Adrian Oliver's jumper with two seconds remaining came up short, and Christian Soto secured the rebound and the win for the Highlanders.
UCR got off to a rough start even before the opening tip when they found out they would be without the services of senior Aaron Scott who tweaked his knee in pregame warm-ups. They kept things close in the early going, however, and a 10-0 Highlanders' run turned an 18-14 deficit with 9:24 remaining into a 24-18 lead with 5:33 to go. UCR was able to maintain most of that advantage heading into the locker room up 31-26.
The Spartans came out of the locker room with a renewed sense of purpose opening the frame on an 8-0 run to take a 34-31 lead. That forced Highlanders Head Coach Jim Wooldridge to call time out with 3:08 gone in the second. The team's traded mini-runs for the next nine minutes and with 6:11 left on the clock the Highlanders held their biggest lead of the night at 51-43. A three by San Jose State's Tim Pierce preceded Austin's basket with 5:05 to go setting up the final hectic possessions.
In addition to being without Scott for the entire evening, the Highlanders lost Borum for a stretch late in the game after his left leg cramped up following a made three-pointer at the 7:30 mark. He would return to the game two minutes later, however, and played the rest of the game
The Highlanders return to Big West Conference play this Thursday, February 26 at home against Cal State Fullerton. It is the home finale for UCR, and the team will honor its two seniors, Scott and Soto, prior to tip at approximately 6:45 pm
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