Highlanders Hang On For Three-Point Victory At UC Irvine, 70-67

Thursday, January 26

Irvine, CA

7:00 pm

University of California, Riverside

4-16 (2-6)

UC Irvine

9-12 (5-3)

Team	1	2	F
UC Riverside	29	41	70
UC Irvine	30	37	67

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Highlanders Hang On For Three-Point Victory At UC Irvine, 70-67

1/26/2012 6:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Box Score - UC Riverside 70, UC Irvine 67

Irvine, CA - The UC Riverside women's basketball team won its second straight Big West Conference game on Thursday evening, defeating UC Irvine 70-67 in a tight back and forth battle at the Bren Events Center.

The Anteaters (9-12, 5-3) had won five in a row in league play heading into the game and were second in the conference standings, but the Highlanders (4-16, 2-6) proved too much in the second half outscoring the Eaters 41-37 to seal the victory.

Four players scored in double-figures on both sides, with Tre'Shonti Nottingham posting a game-high 24 points. Natasha Hadley added 15 for the Highlanders, while Brittany Palmer had 14, and Leah Washington recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

UC Irvine led 30-29 at the half, and opened the second period on an 8-2 run, forcing Highlanders Head Coach John Margaritis to call timeout. The break in action helped UC Riverside, as they rattled off a 12-4 run to take their first lead of the game, 43-42, with 15:02 remaining.

The teams traded buckets with UCR maintaining its lead over the next six minutes. The Highlanders then went up by five, 58-53, with 7:29 to go, but the Anteaters scored seven of the next nine points to tie the game at 60-60 with 4:46 remaining.

Nottingham's jumper nine seconds later put UCR back up two, but Anete Klintsone hit a three-pointer for UCI just 10 seconds later as the Anteaters took a one-point lead, 63-62.

That lead held over the next two minutes until a pair of free throws from Washington put the Highlanders back on top, 64-63, with 2:22 remaining. UCR would never relinquish its lead as a Palmer layup at the 1:17 mark put UCR up three, 66-63. UCI got within one, 66-65, over after two free throws with 1:06 left, but three straight from charity strike lifted the Highlanders up four, 69-65, with 11 seconds to go.

UCI made a last second attempt, connecting on a layup with five seconds to go. Nottingham hit one-of-two from the free throw line with two seconds remaining, and a missed three-pointer from the Anteaters as time expired ended the game with the Highlanders emerging victorious.

UC Riverside struggled offensively out of the gate in the first period, falling behind 13-4 after seven and a half minutes of action. Nottingham scored five of the Highlanders next seven points as UCR cut the lead to two, 13-11, at the 10:57 mark. UC Riverside would eventually battle back to tie the game at 17 with 6:43 remaining in the half.

The Anteaters scored the next four consecutive as their lead stayed within one or two buckets for the next five minutes. UCI then pushed its lead back out to five, 30-25, at the 1:30 mark, but those were the last points UCI would score in the half as UC Riverside scored the final four points of the period to enter the break down 30-29.

It was the Nottingham and Hadley show for most of the half, as the duo combined for all of the Highlanders first 17 points in the period, and 23 of 29 points overall. Nottingham led all players with 15 points in the period, while Hadley added eight. UC Riverside had seven steals in the half, forcing 12 turnovers for 14 points off those miscues.

For the game, UCR forced 23 UCI turnovers, scoring 28 points off of them, while recording 10 steals.

The Highlanders improved their shooting in the second half, hitting 45.9 percent for an overall game percentage of 38.7 (29-75). UC Irvine hit 40.7 percent (24-59) of its shots from the field.

UC Riverside continues Big West play hosting Cal State Northridge on Thursday, February 2 for a 4:00 pm tip at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside, CA.