MORAGA, Calif.—The UC Riverside Women's Basketball team lost a 56-54 heartbreaker to Milwaukee on Saturday in the Saint Mary's Thanksgiving Classic on a buzzer beating shot by Milwaukee.

After a missed jumper by Milwaukee's Bre Cera, Ryaen Johnson collected the offensive rebound and put it back up as the clock expired, marking the end of a hard fought and tough two games in the Classic for the Highlanders, who suffered a 94-44 loss to No. 3 Oregon on Friday.

The scoring went back and forth between the two teams in the final three minutes tonight, which included seven ties or lead changes and a game-tying free throw by the Highlanders' Keilanei Cooper with 17 seconds remaining in the contest.

The game had several bright spots for UCR. Malou De Kergret went off in the second quarter, scoring 12 points, and finished with a team-high 18 points. Daphne Gnago, who scored a season-high 11 points, also gave the team a noticeable boost. Thanks largely to the work and effort from De Kergret and Gnago (both of who came off the bench), UCR outscored Milwaukee 29-18 in bench points.

The team also took advantage of 15 turnovers by the Panthers, scoring 18 points off their miscues while committing only eight themselves.  

With Milwaukee up 15-12 to start the second quarter, the Highlanders bounced back thanks to De Kergret, Gnago and Jannon Otto, who scored all 26 points in the quarter and helped the team go into halftime with a 36-28 lead. Otto finished the game with 13 points.

The Highlanders were unable to replicate their first half success at the start of the second half, shooting just 18.8 percent from the field in the third quarter and scoring just six points in the quarter compared to Milwaukee's 13 points.

The Panthers worked their way back into the game in the second half, slowly chipping away at the Highlanders' lead and out-rebounding the Highlanders 45-33, including 16 offensive boards. The biggest one coming right before the buzzer.

The Highlanders next game will be against rival Cal Baptist University in the Crosstown Showdown at CBU on Dec. 6.