BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – UC Riverside erased a 17-point deficit in the second half of Thursday's Big West opener at CSU Bakersfield, but was unable to carry a win across the finish line in a 56-53 double overtime defeat inside the Icardo Center.
UCR overcame a sluggish start in the first half before kicking it up multiple notches with minutes to go until halftime. The Highlanders instilled a sense of urgency at the end of the opening 20 minutes, ending the first half on a 10-2 run to cut a largely double-digit deficit to under 10 at the intermission. UC Riverside owned a 23-20 advantage on the glass at halftime, including 6-2 in offensive rebounds.
UC Riverside pulled down a whopping 58 rebounds on Thursday for a new season high, with additional season highs in offensive (20) and defensive (38) boards. Despite the loss, UCR still collected its highest rebound total since 62 against Long Beach State in 2019-20. Thursday night was also the second time this season winning the rebounding battle, last doing so in November's win over Long Island at the SRC Arena.
The Highlanders completely flipped the script out of the break, effectively turning a 17-point deficit to just one with a monstrous 20-4 run going back to the first half. Paris Atchley wiped out the double-digit deficit entirely on a layup at the four-minute mark of the third quarter, her only field goal of the night.
UC Riverside's 42.9 third-quarter field goal clip was practically a statistical anomaly compared to the Highlanders' first and second quarters, as UCR went into the fourth with a 31-30 lead after going 6 of 14 from the floor and an efficient 2-of-3 from deep out of halftime.
Either side's lead never eclipsed four points in a highly-dramatic fourth quarter. Rose Morse sank a teardrop jumper from up top with 45 seconds to go, giving UCR a scarce but crucial one-point lead with under a minute to go before the Highlanders' second overtime game of the season.
Overtime was an equally close affair for both teams, as UCR cleared themselves of foul trouble with new floor personnel to open up multiple opportunities for foraging ahead. Jordyn Marshall connected on a pair of clutch free throws with 11 seconds left to put UCR down just one, then was just as icy with another two freebies after a Bakersfield field goal to force the Highlanders' first double overtime game since 2019-20 and just the program's third since the 2013-14 season.
Marshall reached double-digit scoring for the third time this season, joining Jordan Webster (19) as the only Highlanders with at least 10 points in Thursday's conference opener. Anna Blount was one point shy of her second double double in as many trips to the Icardo Center, while Matehya Bryant continued to push the envelope with a staggering 19 rebounds for a new career high and the most since Kemie Nkele's 19 against Cal Poly on February 24, 2005.
Marshall scored seven of her 10 points in the second overtime period, but it wasn't enough to push UCR to a 1-0 start in conference play.
UC Riverside will take a much-needed breather before hosting Long Beach State on New Year's Eve to open the home portion of the Big West schedule. Tipoff against the Beach is slated for 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
