HENDERSON, Nev. – Jordan Webster's 21 points helped No. 10 UC Riverside down Cal Poly 63-54 in the opening game of the Big West Championships at the Dollar Loan Center.
Webster recorded her sixth 20-point game in the process and third in her last four games as UCR turned the tables on the Mustangs, who had spoiled UCR's Senior Night just three days earlier.
"Our coaches preached to us all season not to focus on the end result, but to stay with the process, and every day to get 1% better," Webster said. "I feel like that outlook was reflected today on the court."
Aggressive from the tip, UC Riverside opened the scoreline with a Webster three-pointer off a shot clock violation turnover, three of 12 UCR points off turnovers in the first half. Less than a minute later, Zoe Tillery made it 6-2 with another three off a turnover.
The teams traded buckets with UCR leading by one possession most of the quarter, until the Mustangs nailed a three that knotted the score up 9-9. Cal Poly continued to chase down an advantage, answering back almost every time the Highlanders pulled ahead.
The Mustangs took their first and only lead of the game in the opening moments of the second quarter with a made layup, only to be locked in a tie again about 30 seconds later with a second chance jumper by Anna Blount.
The Highlanders stretched their lead by four points in the second quarter, but a series of successful free throws from the Mustangs locked the two teams at 22 as the clock approached halftime.
The Highlanders were determined to find an edge coming out of the break. Anna Blount landed a jumper followed by Webster with a driving layup to get UC Riverside a four point margin to work with, 26-22.
Steady shooting brought the Highlanders an 18-point third quarter, allowing them to pull ahead for the largest lead of the game thus far, a six-point margin. With 30 seconds left in the quarter, the Mustangs nailed a three that cut their deficit in half, and for the first time, the quarter ended with the Highlanders ahead, 40-37.
In the fourth quarter, the Highlanders took the first double-digit lead of the tournament off a nine-point run, opening a 12 point advantage that left the Mustangs trailing 49-37. From there, the Highlanders maintained control of the court, and tight defense held the Mustangs at bay for a final score of 63-51.
Looking forward to tomorrow, the Highlanders will face the No. 2 seed, Long Beach State, at 6:00 p.m. at the Dollar Loan Center.
