UCRWBB Lewis
Carlos Puma
67
UC Riverside UCR 6-14,2-4 Big West
73
Winner Long Beach St. LBSU 10-10,5-2 Big West
UC Riverside UCR
6-14,2-4 Big West
67
Final
73
Long Beach St. LBSU
10-10,5-2 Big West
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 OT 1 OT 2 F
UC Riverside UCR 12 9 14 14 9 9 67
Long Beach St. LBSU 14 11 9 15 9 15 73

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women's Basketball Edged in Double OT Thriller at Long Beach St.

Presented by Altura Credit Union

Altura Credit Union
Long Beach, Calif.—Coming into Thursday's matchup UC Riverside and Long Beach State had split their all time series 17 games apiece in Big West play. So it came as no surprise that it would take double overtime to settle this matter as the Beach got past the Highlanders, 73-67, after 50 minutes were played.

UC Riverside (6-14, 2-4) got double-doubles from Marina Ewodo (13pt-15rbs) and Skyler Lewis (13pt-10rbs) to help lead the blue and gold at Long Beach State (10-10, 5-2).

Jannon Otto, who came in to the game 30 points away from reaching 1,000 as a Highlander, shook off a slow shooting first half to finish with 15 points.

"I was encouraged by our determination and the way we fought to stay in the game. However, committing 27 turnovers forces us to use all kinds of heroics just to catch up. It's hard to win that way." said Head Coach Seyram Bell.

After trailing by single digits for most of the first half, UCR seized control in the third quarter holding the Beach to 3-21 (14.3%) shooting in the frame. That defensive effort helped the Highlanders offset their five turnovers in the period and to take a one point lead, 35-34, into the fourth.

The fourth was seesaw battle within neither team establishing a lead of more than five points. LBSU did manage to have a, 49-47, lead with 1.3 seconds to play. Out the UCR timeout, Otto was fouled before time expired. She calmly stepped to the line and sank both free throws sending the game into overtime. Keilanei Cooper scored six points in the fourth to help keep the game close.

In the first overtime period, the Highlanders got a three from Lauryn Pointer on right wing with 1:17 to play to them ahead, 56-53. The Beach respond with an old fashion three-point play to knot the game once again. On the ensuing possession, Lewis scored on a feed from Otto to put UCR back ahead, 58-56. Long Beach then made a pair free throws with to send the game into a second overtime period.

With 1:59 to play, Ewodo made a pair of free throws to bring the Highlanders within a point, 67-66. She would foul out a minute later while Long Beach State was in the midst of a, 6-1, mini-run to closeout the game and claim the, 73-67, victory.

Looking Forward

UC Riverside returns to the Inland Empire to host UC Irvine at 5pm on Saturday, February 1st, when they'll celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
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