Nitoto's 23 Points Send Highlanders To Semifinals Of Big West Tournament

Thursday, March 10

Anaheim, CA

6:00 PM

UC Riverside

Cal Poly (Quarterfinals)

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Nitoto's 23 Points Send Highlanders To Semifinals Of Big West Tournament

3/10/2011 6:06:17 PM | Men's Basketball

#7 UC Riverside 70, #2 Cal Poly 66 (OT) - Box Score

Anaheim, CA—Kareem Nitoto tied his career high with 23 points, and the Highlanders hit every one of their shots in overtime as UC Riverside advanced to its first ever Big West Conference semifinals with a 70-66 victory over Cal Poly.

UCR now takes on No. 1 seed Long Beach State Friday evening at 6:30 pm PT. Tickets are available by contacting the Honda Center Ticket Office at (714) 704-2500.

LBSU advanced to the semifinals with a 79-72 victory over UC Irvine earlier in the day. The 49ers won both regular season meetings with the Highlanders with a 68-55 win at the Beach on February 16 and an 82-76 decision on March 2.

The Mustangs jumped out to an early 8-3 lead, but the Highlanders scored 14 straight to open up a nine-point advantage with 7:01 gone in the first half. Nitoto had eight of the Highlanders points during the game-opening run.

Cal Poly inched closer throughout the remainder of the half, but Daymond Cowlah's driving lay up with two seconds remaining gave UC Riverside a 28-23 lead heading into the locker room.

The Mustangs scored nine of the first 13 points of the second half to tie the game at 32. From that point forward, neither team led by more than five points. There were five ties and six lead changes in the final 20 minutes of play.

The Highlanders found themselves trailing for much of the second period, and they were still down four, 52-48, with 3:11 left on the clock. NItoto's old-fashioned three-pointer made it a one point game with 2:45 to go, and his pair of made free throws at the 2:22 mark put UC Riverside up one.

Both teams went dry on the offensive end over the next two minutes before David Hanson's three pointer put Cal Poly back up two. On the Highlanders final play in regulation, however, Nitoto drove the lane and drew the foul. He fell hard on his hand and wrist area, and there was some question as to whether or not he would be able to take the free throws, but he bellied up to the free throw line and drained them both to sent the game into overtime tied at 55.

The extra stanza provided more of the same with nine lead changes. and with 34 seconds to go, UC Riverside found itself down one with the ball. Once again, it was Nitoto to the rescue as he made another layup and drew the foul with 14 seconds to go. He made the bonus shot and the Highlanders led 68-66.

Shawn Lewis attempted a three on the Mustangs final possession, but Phil Martin blocked it. The ball found its wah into Cowlah's hands, and he was fouled with under two seconds to go. He made both free throws, and UC Riverside had its third-ever Big West Conference win in hand.