Riverside–In their final home game of the regular season, the UC Riverside Women's Basketball Team was defeated 61-59 by UC Davis' game-winning bucket with under two seconds to play.
It was also the final contest at the SRC Arena for UC Riverside native Simone DeCoud, who finished with eight points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block before fouling out.
The Highlanders found themselves trailing at the break 34-26. They shot 33.3 percent the field in the first 20 minutes of play, 1-4 from long distance.
In the third period, Michelle Curry helped UCR cut Davis margin to just five entering the final period with eight points on 4-6 shooting.
In the fourth with the score 48-43, Curry put the blue and gold on the board right away with a score in the paint make it
45-48.
Both teams would go cold over the next three minutes as the Highlanders went 0-5 from the field with a turnover. Davis' Dani Nafekh connected from three-point range to end the drought for the Aggies and put them ahead six.
Morgan Bertsch would converted a three-point play on the Aggies' next possession to take control by nine with under six to play.
UCR would chip away the lead and cut to three with 47 seconds remaining, when Clemence Lefebvre knocked down a three in front the home bench to tie the game at 59 apiece.
For Lefevbre it was her second triple of the frame, she came into the game 2-21 from long distance during league play.
The Highlanders and Aggies would fail to score on each their possessions down the stretch until UC Davis corralled a loose ball and call for timeout 2.9 remaining.
Coming out of the stoppage, the visitors went inside to Bertsch, who made a direct move to basket and scored with 1.1 seconds left.
The Highlanders were out of timeouts, and Curry's half-court heave went begging as the Aggies prevailed, 61-59, in the final home for DeCoud, who fouled with 1:39 to play and exited to a thunderous appreciative ovation.
Curry finished 17 points lo lead all scorers, while Malou De Kergret added 13 in the loss–her second straight game in double figures.
UC Riverside is off the weekend as the only team having played all 16 conference games thus far.
They now sit just a game ahead of UC Santa Barbara, who hosts Cal Poly Saturday. A win by the gauchos would drop the Highlanders to the fifth seed, which would mean a Tuesday night first round game at the Long Beach Pyramid.
