Late Run By CSU Bakersfield Pushes Them Past Highlanders, 72-66

Wednesday, January 18

Bakersfield, CA

7:00 pm

UC Riverside

2-16

CSU Bakersfield

4-18

Team	1	2	F
UC Riverside	32	34	66
CSU Bakersfield	32	40	72

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Late Run By CSU Bakersfield Pushes Them Past Highlanders, 72-66

1/18/2012 6:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Box Score - CSU Bakersfield 72, UC Riverside 66

Bakersfield, CA - The UC Riverside women's basketball team took a break from Big West Conference play on Wednesday evening looking to snap an eight-game skid, and it looked as if they would late in the game before CSU Bakersfield rallied for a 72-66 come-from-behind victory.

With the game tied at 32 at the half, the Roadrunners (4-18) came out of the break scoring the first four points, but the Highlanders (2-16) responded with five of their own, and 13 of the next 15 points, to go up by seven, 45-38, at the 14:02 mark.

UC Riverside pushed its lead out to nine, 57-48, with 6:29 remaining, but CSU Bakersfield got within one, 61-60, after a 12-4 run, at the 4:17 mark.

The teams then traded buckets until Kristine Herman's three-pointer and a layup by Lauren Carter put CSUB up 67-63 with 41 seconds left. The Highlanders came down the floor, and Nottingham's three-pointer kissed the glass as the lead was back to one, 67-66, with 33 seconds remaining.

After a timeout, UC Riverside fouled Herman on the inbound, and she sank both free throws as the lead went back to three. Brittany Palmer could not connect on a long ball at the other end, and as the Highlanders again fouled, the lead was back to five, 71-66, as Ciarra Ford hit a pair of free throws.

UCR missed another three-pointer on the next possesion, and after a foul, the Runners hit one-of-two as the game ended the with CSUB completing the 72-66 victory.

Herman led all players with 31 points on 10-of-20 shooting including 5-of-10 from three-point range. Natasha Hadley led UC Riverside with 19 points while Tre'Shonti Nottingham added 15, and Jamila Williams recorded a double-double and career-high with 13 points and 14 rebounds.

In the first half, the Highlanders jumped out to an early 12-3 after scoring nine straight points, five from Nottingham and two from Kiara Harewood, after three minutes and 17 seconds of action.

UCR hit 5-of-6 from the field in the first four minutes of play, but CSU Bakersfield rallied back with a 21-4 run over the next 7:45 to go up 24-16. A Hadley jumper with 7:48 remaining in the half ignited a 7-0 UC Riverside run as they closed to one, 24-23, at the 5:14 mark.

The Runners went back up by six, but made just one of their next seven shots as the Highlanders scored nine of the final 12 points, including six from Williams, to end the half tied at 32.

Overall, the Highlanders hit 41.1 percent (30-73) of their shots from the field, while the Roadrunners hit 38.8 percent (26-67). UC Riverside outscsored CSUB in the paint, 48-24, and in fast break opportunities, 16-5.

The Highlanders now return to Big West Conference action with a home contest against Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, January 21 for a 5:00 pm tip at the Student Recreation Center.