RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The UC Riverside women's basketball team fell in game two of the weekend's Big West series against UC San Diego, 74-67. Two Highlanders scored double digits, with Jada Holland posting a game-high 21 points, six assists and three steals, as well as six boards. Keilanei Cooper added 16 points, two assists and two steals. On defense, Jordan Webster grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
 
Head Coach Nicole Powell said, "I thought today our intensity was better, it wasn't there the whole 40 minutes like it needed to be, but I thought we really showed some grit at times, and that was really positive." She continued, "But this weekend exposed some things that we need to do better at."
 
Although the Highlanders took the first lead of the game, the Tritons quickly answered back and initiated a battle as the teams traded baskets. The Tritons pulled ahead with an 8-2 run in the final three minutes of the period, leaving the Highlanders trailing 23-18 entering the second quarter.
 
UCR struggled to defend UCSD's shooting from beyond the arc in the second quarter, as the Tritons added nine of their 20 points this period from distance. The Highlanders entered the locker room at halftime down 43-34.
 
The Highlanders ignited offensively in the second half as they fought to close the deficit, outscoring their opponents in the third quarter, 16-11. It was anyone's game as the teams entered the final period, with UCSD claiming a narrow 54-50 lead. 
 
Jada Holland acted with urgency in the final ten minutes, nailing a jumper at 9:48 to bring the game within one possession, 54-52. Despite an aggressive 17-point quarter from UC Riverside, the Tritons would claim victory posting 20 points to secure a 74-67 win, the 300^th career win for their head coach, Heidi VanDerVeer.
 
Although it wasn't the outcome she hoped for, Coach Powell is looking ahead, saying "I want us to be sound fundamentally. We've done that, at times, really really well. But the mark of a successful program is consistency." She said, "We are growing. We have five freshman, we are really young. It's been a huge learning curve. Overall, I'm very proud of certain moments, but we are striving for more. We're going to get to that level of consistency to be a great team, but it takes some time."
 
UC Riverside will wrap up the 2020-21 Big West Conference season on the road next weekend with a pair of games at UC Santa Barbara on Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27.