UCRMBB Dom Pickett
62
UC Riverside UCR 4-3,1-1 Big West
67
Winner Southern California USC 9-2,3-1 Pac-12
UC Riverside UCR
4-3,1-1 Big West
62
Final
67
Southern California USC
9-2,3-1 Pac-12
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
UC Riverside UCR 32 21 9 62
Southern California USC 27 26 14 67

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Highlanders Go Shot For Shot With USC Into OT, Before Falling 67-62

Presented by Altura Credit Union

Altura Credit Union
Los Angeles, Calif.— UC Riverside's first matchup against a Pac-12 opponent this season was arranged within 24 hours of tip-off, Tuesday night's battle at USC came together three days before it occurred, but the Trojans and Highlanders needed more than 40 minutes to settle things at the Galen Center. USC got past UCR, 67-62, in a well-played game in which the Highlanders went shot for shot with the Pac-12's Trojans before falling in overtime. 

"The best thing about this game was it gave us a test that we will need when we face the rest of the Big West. Our guys were up to the challenge." said Head Coach Mike Magpayo. "We could not keep those guys off the boards tonight. We are the 18th tallest team in the country, unfortunately, they are the tallest. And that showed up in the end, we gave up far too many offensive rebounds (16) to get the job done and leave here with a win." he went on to say.

Dominick Pickett poured in 16 points on 6-7 shooting, including 4-4 from long distance to lead the UCR five starters in double figures. Jock Perry pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds to match his 10 points for his first double-double in a Highlander uniform. Arinze Chidom scored 10 points and grabbed seven boards to go with a game-high four steals before fouling out just before the end of regulation. 

UCR trailed 14-9 early on when Flynn Cameron connected on his first of three three-pointers in a 16-0 Highlander run that also featured scores by Wil Tattersall, Perry and Chidom. With a 25-14 lead and momentum in tow, UCR maintained an advantage throughout the first half, which was punctuated by a Pickett buzzer-beating three that gave the blue and gold a 32-27 lead heading into the locker room. The Highlanders connected on six of their 13 attempts from three in the first 20 minutes of play, compared to USC's 2-10 from deep. UCR entered the night in the top-25 in guarding the three-point line.

Magpayo on the offense; "We did a good job running our offense in the first half and were able to knock down some shots. In the second half, they were able to stifle us a bit and having Arinze in foul trouble was tough as he brings a lot offensively for us."

To start the second half, SC had a 9-0 spurt to take the lead, 36-32, while UCR went scoreless over the first six and half minutes. The drought ended when Pickett nailed three-balls on back-to-back possessions to retake the lead, 38-36. That lead would be the Highlanders last until Zyon Pullin hit the go-ahead jumper with 31 seconds remaining to put UCR ahead, 53-52. They erased a five-point deficit, 52-47, before pulling ahead late.

On USC's final possession of regulation, Isaiah White drew a critical fifth foul on Arinze Chidom, which sent him to the free-throw line, where he made his second attempt, tying the game at 53 with 12 seconds remaining. Zyon Pulllin's three-pointer was blocked by Evan Mobley as the regulation buzzer sounded on UCR's final possession of regulation. 

"In the end we had a one-point lead with 30 seconds and had the ball with a chance to win at the end of regulation against the 16th best team in the country by net ranking." said Magpayo on the finish. UCR is ranked a program-best #100 in net rankings.

In the overtime period, Chidom's absence was felt as the Highlanders were out rebounded 7-2, 3-0 on the offensive glass in the final five minutes. UCR shot 3-6 from the field in the extra session and didn't turn the ball over, however, the added Trojan possessions proved too much to overcome as the hosts shot 5-9 en route to a 67-62 victory. 

"This group is just a very intentional group, they are disappointed in the loss, and  have a purposeful approach to their work. I trust in our team very much. They drive the culture here and will keep building and keep raising the standard." said Magpayo. 

The Highlanders will head up the California Coast for games at Cal Poly on Friday, January 15th and Saturday the 16th. Both tip-offs are slated for 4pm.