Thursday, March 7
7:00 p.m.
University of California, Riverside
15-14, 9-6BWC
44
vs
51
Hawai'i
13-15, 9-6BWC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 13 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 51 |
| UC Riverside | 14 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 44 |
Photo by: Carlos Puma
Women's Basketball Comes Up Short in 51-44 loss to Hawaii
3/7/2019 10:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RIVERSIDE, Calif.—It would have been easy for Malou De Kergret to get caught up in the hype and emotions that surround Senior Day.
However, being completely candid after Thursday's 51-44 loss vs. Hawaii, she said the game didn't feel any different.
"It was just a game that I wanted to win, but once it was over, I was emotional because we get the victory," De Kergret said. "It's all about competing every night to try to get the win."
The Highlanders (15-14, 9-6) tried to get the victory without leading scorer Jannon Otto, who was unable to play due to an injury she sustained in the team's previous game against UC Santa Barbara.
Because of the injury, head coach John Margaritis relied even more on the starters. Three played all 40 minutes. Tianna Eaton also played 39 minutes.
Even without Otto, the team had a great amount of energy, and it showed early on.
The two teams were quite even in the first quarter. Hawaii shot 42.9 percent from the field, while UCR shot 43.8. De Kergret went 3-for-5 with six points.
Hawaii and UC Riverside went into halftime tied 23-23 with neither team having a bigger lead than five points. Keilanei Cooper sunk a bucket with 28 second left in the half to tie the score. The two teams cooled off in the second quarter with UH scoring 10 points and UCR scoring nine points.
"We got some quick looks early on, but as the game progressed, Hawaii adjusted its defense and those same shots just weren't available," Margaritis said. "Their zone was quite affective."
Taking the bulk of the shots in the third quarter, De Kergret had nine points (4-for-8), two of which came with just two seconds. That put the team down 39-36 heading into the fourth quarter.
During the fourth quarter, Marina Ewodo played with four fouls after picking it up with four minutes left in the third quarter. Margaritis felt it was worth the risk to keep his best team on the floor.
The Rainbow Wahine went on a 7-0 run in the middle of the fourth quarter to go up 47-40, then marking its largest lead of the game. De Kergret stopped the run with a jumper to cut the lead to five points. However, after that, the team managed to score just two more points in the quarter.
In total, De Kergret led the team in scoring with 17 points and had four rebounds, along with four steals and four assists. Ewodo also had 10 points and seven rebounds.
Knowing their legs will be tired on Friday, Margaritis has chosen to give the Highlanders the day off before Saturday's away game at Cal State Fullerton, which marks its final regular season game before the Big West Tournament.
"We have to get our legs back," Margaritis said. "That's very important if we want to win Saturday's game."
However, being completely candid after Thursday's 51-44 loss vs. Hawaii, she said the game didn't feel any different.
"It was just a game that I wanted to win, but once it was over, I was emotional because we get the victory," De Kergret said. "It's all about competing every night to try to get the win."
The Highlanders (15-14, 9-6) tried to get the victory without leading scorer Jannon Otto, who was unable to play due to an injury she sustained in the team's previous game against UC Santa Barbara.
Because of the injury, head coach John Margaritis relied even more on the starters. Three played all 40 minutes. Tianna Eaton also played 39 minutes.
Even without Otto, the team had a great amount of energy, and it showed early on.
The two teams were quite even in the first quarter. Hawaii shot 42.9 percent from the field, while UCR shot 43.8. De Kergret went 3-for-5 with six points.
Hawaii and UC Riverside went into halftime tied 23-23 with neither team having a bigger lead than five points. Keilanei Cooper sunk a bucket with 28 second left in the half to tie the score. The two teams cooled off in the second quarter with UH scoring 10 points and UCR scoring nine points.
"We got some quick looks early on, but as the game progressed, Hawaii adjusted its defense and those same shots just weren't available," Margaritis said. "Their zone was quite affective."
Taking the bulk of the shots in the third quarter, De Kergret had nine points (4-for-8), two of which came with just two seconds. That put the team down 39-36 heading into the fourth quarter.
During the fourth quarter, Marina Ewodo played with four fouls after picking it up with four minutes left in the third quarter. Margaritis felt it was worth the risk to keep his best team on the floor.
The Rainbow Wahine went on a 7-0 run in the middle of the fourth quarter to go up 47-40, then marking its largest lead of the game. De Kergret stopped the run with a jumper to cut the lead to five points. However, after that, the team managed to score just two more points in the quarter.
In total, De Kergret led the team in scoring with 17 points and had four rebounds, along with four steals and four assists. Ewodo also had 10 points and seven rebounds.
Knowing their legs will be tired on Friday, Margaritis has chosen to give the Highlanders the day off before Saturday's away game at Cal State Fullerton, which marks its final regular season game before the Big West Tournament.
"We have to get our legs back," Margaritis said. "That's very important if we want to win Saturday's game."
Team Stats
HAWAII
UCR
FG%
.370
.356
3FG%
.286
.067
FT%
.313
.167
RB
40
37
TO
14
13
STL
8
11
Game Leaders
Pts
17
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Day in the Life: Leilani Juan
Monday, May 04
UCR Student-Athletes cheer on our students.
Friday, May 01
UCR Athletics Director Introductory Full Press Conference
Tuesday, March 24
Athletics Director Greg Paules Introductory Presentation Recap
Tuesday, March 24
