Highlanders Erase 14-Point, Second-Half Deficit To Top Washington State

Sunday, November 27

Anaheim, CA

10:30 AM

University of California, Riverside

Washington State

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Highlanders Erase 14-Point, Second-Half Deficit To Top Washington State

11/27/2011 10:24:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Anaheim, CA—The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team found itself on the short end of a 56-42 score Sunday afternoon with 7:05 left on the clock, but they rallied to score the next 14 straight points, and Phil Martin's lay up with 13 seconds to go proved to be the difference in a 64-63 win over Washington State. (Box Score / Listen To John Ramey's Call Of The Final Seconds)

The Highlanders trailed by as many as 11 in the first half of what was the final game of the 76 Classic for both teams, and a Faisal Aden's jumper gave the Cougars their largest lead of the game at 54-40. After the team's traded baskets to make it 56-42, Austin Quick not only drained his third three-pointer of the day, but found Martin open for a lay up on UCR's subsequent possession to reduce the lead to single digits.

Martin scored the next seven points for UC Riverside on a pair of free throws, a fast break lay up and a three-pointer to make it a two-point game forcing WSU to call time out with 4:58 to go

On the Highlanders next trip down the floor, Kevin Bradshaw drew a foul and sank both freebies to knot the game up at 56 apiece.

During the Highlanders' 14-0 run, the UCR defense forced six Cougars misses from the field and a turnover.

The game was still tied at 60 following an Elliott Berry jumper, and after two missed free throws by Marcus Capers, a Gaines jumper gave the Highlanders their first lead of the game, 62-60.

DaVonte Lacy gave WSU the lead again with 35 seconds to play thanks to a steal and an old-fashioned three-point play.

Martin found himself with a mismatch at the top of the key on the Highlanders' final possession, drove the lane and made the layup with 13 seconds to go. Reggie Moore's last ditch jumper came up short, and the Highlanders had the win in hand.

UC Riverside made 50 percent of their shots in the second period to overcome the deficit, while holding the Cougars to 42.3 percent from the field. The Highlanders also drained 8 of 16 free three pointers on the day, and committed just seven turnovers.

Early on it looked like UCR might be looking at its third loss of the tournament as Washington State jumped out to an early 13-3 lead making five of their first six shots. Following a pair of time outs, the Highlanders turned up the defensive intensity forcing the Cougars to miss eight of their next 11 shots, but UCR still trailed 19-17 with 6:42 to go in the first.

Washington State went on a 9-0 run over the next 2:42, as UC Riverside continued to struggle offensively. A Quick three pointer ended the run, and two possessions later the freshman drained another shot from long range to make it 30-23 Cougars. Berry made a baseline jumper to cut the advantage to five, but WSU scored the final bucket of the period and took a 32-25 lead into halftime.

Washington State connected on 48.1 percent of their shots in the first period, while the Highlanders made just 30.0 percent of theirs. The Cougars also won the battle of the boards in the first 20 minutes of play, outrebounding UCR 21-13.

UC Riverside returns home this week for a Wednesday, November 30 meeting against another Pac-12 team in USC. Game time is 7 pm PT at the Student Recreation Center.