Lawrence, KS–Simone DeCoud scored a career-high 29 points, grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds and hit a three-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime, but the UC Riverside Women's Basketball Team fell, 90-84, to Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse.
For the second game in a row, the Highlanders got off to slow start, as they fell behind, 9-2, to the Jayhawks, who connected on their first three attempts from long distance.
Things would get tougher from there, as Réjane Verin picked up her third foul with just over two minutes remaining in the first period.
UCR would respond with a three-pointer barrage of their own, as DeCoud knocked down triples on consecutive trips down the floor, before Lauren Holt drained one as well.
KU led 21-15 after the first ten minutes, as they had 10 players see action in the opening quarter, five players saw six minutes apiece, while the other five got four– six different players scored.
The Highlanders continued close ground thanks to knocking down six first half three-pointers. At the half, UCR trailed KU, 34-33. Holt had 12 points, DeCoud 10 points six rebounds, and Malou De Kergret chipped in eight.
Vérin had just two points, having been saddled with three fouls in eight first quarter minutes.
In the second half, Verin opens the scoring with a bucket in the paint at 8:32 mark to give UCR their first lead of the game, 35-34. DeCoud followed with a jumper for three point blue and gold advantage. Verin scored again for a 7-0 spurt.
She would score eight on 4-5 shooting in period in helping the Highlanders take a, 50-49, lead into the fourth quarter.
With 2:13 to playing the fourth, trailing 66-64, Holt missed a three from the corner, followed her shot and came up with the rebound, swung it to De Kergret, who returned the ball Holt in the same corner, and she knocked down the three this time to give UCR the, 67-66, lead.
Michelle Curry, who played just six minutes, drew a charge with 1:13 to play. On the ensuing Highlander possession she got fouled, and made one of two free throws making it 68-66.
McKenzie Calvert responded with a three to put KU ahead, 69-68. Following a UCR turnover, Jessica Washington would make two from the charity stripe.
Verin and DeCoud missed on the other end, and the Highlanders were forced to foul. Kansas made one of two to make a four-point game, 72-68 with 12 seconds remaining in regulation.
DeCoud dribbled into space and drilled a three-pointer from the left wing to cut the KU lead to one, 72-71. The Jayhawks then made two more free throws, and left the Highlanders six seconds, (no timeouts) to make something happen.
Six seconds proved to be enough, as DeCoud took the inbounds pass, raced to the right wing, lost control of the ball, but regained it in the air and buried a three right in front of Coach Margaritis and the UCR bench as the buzzer sounded, sending the game to overtime, 74-74.
DeCoud had the first score in the overtime period at the 3:15 mark. The clubs traded baskets and the UCR two-point lead remained until Washington buried a three to give KU the first lead in the extra frame, 79-78.
Vérin grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in to retake the lead, 80-79, but that would be the last that the Highlanders would enjoy.
Washington would go off for five straight points to give the Jayhawks a lead they would not relinquish, as she scored 12 points in overtime in leading KU to a , 90-84 victory in their final tune-up before beginning Big-12 conference play next week. She would finish with a game-high 30 points, 12-12 from the line.
DeCoud would match her career-high of fve made three-pointers for the second time this season. Vérin finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, her second double of the year. Holt added 20 points, with four makes from long range.
The 13 made threes in Wednesday's loss rank second on the team all-time game records list. Their 30 season high 30 attempts ranks third. The 45 minute battle, was the first overtime game for the Highlanders since Valentine's Day, 2015.
The UC Riverside Women's Basketball is off until next week, when they head to Fort Meyers, Fl to play the Florida Gulf Coast Classic, December 29-30.
