Saturday, February 28
Irvine, CA
7:35 PM
University of California, Riverside
72
at
78
UC Irvine
Photo by: Bobby R. Hester, (c) 2009
Highlanders Fall to UC Irvine In Overtime, 78-72
2/28/2009 8:15:24 PM | Men's Basketball
UC Irvine 78, UC Riverside 72 - Box Score
Irvine, CA - The UC Riverside men's basketball team battled back from a 12-point first-half deficit to force overtime at UC Irvine on Saturday evening, but the Anteaters outscored the Highlanders 16-10 in the extra period to take the 78-72 win. The loss drops UCR to 16-11 overall and 7-7 in the Big West while UC Irvine improves to 11-18, 7-8.
The Highlanders had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but Kyle Austin's shot couldn't find its mark, and UC Riverside found itself in it's second overtime game of the year. In the overtime period, Sean Cunningham drew first blood with a free throw, but the Anteaters scored the next eight points to lead by seven. The Highlanders cut the lead to two with 28 seconds to go, but UC Irvine made seven free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
The Highlanders struggled to find the basket in the early going making just 6 of their initial 18 shots and trailing by as many as 12 in the first. But UCR closed out the half on a 9-2 run to trail by five heading into the locker room, 29-24.
UC Riverside continued its run in the second half scoring seven of the first 10 points, forcing the Anteaters to call time out with 3:31 gone in the second. Coming out of the timeout, the Highlanders trailed by one, 32-31. Javon Borum followed up a stop on the defensive end with an old-fashioned three-pointer to give UCR its first lead since the 13:24 mark of the first.
The game remained tight the rest of the way, with UC Irvine taking five point leads on a handful of occasions. They still led by five, 53-48, with 4:40 left on the clock when a Kyle Austin old-fashioned three cut the lead to two, and Brandon Dowdy's six-foot baseline jumper tied the game at 53. Following another defensive stop, Dowdy drained a 17-footer to put the Highlanders back in the lead by two.
UC Irvine regained the lead two possessions later, and with 1:59 they still led by two, 59-57. On the next play, Jesse LeBou took the lead back for the Highlanders draining a three in front of the UCR bench. Another defensive stop later, and the Highlanders found themselves up one with the ball and the clock ticking under a minute. With the shot clock on his back, trapped in the corner, Austin drew a foul and subsequently nailed two free throws to push the UCR lead to three.
The Anteaters' Michael Hunter hit a three to tie the ballgame with 29 seconds left giving UCR the ball for one last possession in regulation, but they couldn't score sending the game into overtime.
Austin led the Highlanders with a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Borum chipped in with 20 points on the night. Eric Wise paced the Anteaters with 20 points and Kevin Bland posted a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Next up for the Highlanders is a March 5 road game against UC Santa Barbara. Game time is 7 pm.
Irvine, CA - The UC Riverside men's basketball team battled back from a 12-point first-half deficit to force overtime at UC Irvine on Saturday evening, but the Anteaters outscored the Highlanders 16-10 in the extra period to take the 78-72 win. The loss drops UCR to 16-11 overall and 7-7 in the Big West while UC Irvine improves to 11-18, 7-8.
The Highlanders had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but Kyle Austin's shot couldn't find its mark, and UC Riverside found itself in it's second overtime game of the year. In the overtime period, Sean Cunningham drew first blood with a free throw, but the Anteaters scored the next eight points to lead by seven. The Highlanders cut the lead to two with 28 seconds to go, but UC Irvine made seven free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
The Highlanders struggled to find the basket in the early going making just 6 of their initial 18 shots and trailing by as many as 12 in the first. But UCR closed out the half on a 9-2 run to trail by five heading into the locker room, 29-24.
UC Riverside continued its run in the second half scoring seven of the first 10 points, forcing the Anteaters to call time out with 3:31 gone in the second. Coming out of the timeout, the Highlanders trailed by one, 32-31. Javon Borum followed up a stop on the defensive end with an old-fashioned three-pointer to give UCR its first lead since the 13:24 mark of the first.
The game remained tight the rest of the way, with UC Irvine taking five point leads on a handful of occasions. They still led by five, 53-48, with 4:40 left on the clock when a Kyle Austin old-fashioned three cut the lead to two, and Brandon Dowdy's six-foot baseline jumper tied the game at 53. Following another defensive stop, Dowdy drained a 17-footer to put the Highlanders back in the lead by two.
UC Irvine regained the lead two possessions later, and with 1:59 they still led by two, 59-57. On the next play, Jesse LeBou took the lead back for the Highlanders draining a three in front of the UCR bench. Another defensive stop later, and the Highlanders found themselves up one with the ball and the clock ticking under a minute. With the shot clock on his back, trapped in the corner, Austin drew a foul and subsequently nailed two free throws to push the UCR lead to three.
The Anteaters' Michael Hunter hit a three to tie the ballgame with 29 seconds left giving UCR the ball for one last possession in regulation, but they couldn't score sending the game into overtime.
Austin led the Highlanders with a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Borum chipped in with 20 points on the night. Eric Wise paced the Anteaters with 20 points and Kevin Bland posted a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Next up for the Highlanders is a March 5 road game against UC Santa Barbara. Game time is 7 pm.
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