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(January 16, 2008) –
UC Riverside dropped a hard fought game to the Cal State Northridge
Matadors 66-62 at the Student Rec Center Wednesday night.
Junior Cleavon Barlow finished with a game-high 20 points
and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds for the Highlanders who
fall to 3-12 overall and 0-4 in the Big West.
The first place Matadors
(13-3, 5-0 Big West) used the three-ball to erase an 11-point
lead once held by UCR late in the first half. Deon Tresvant
did most of the damage for CSUN, finishing with 20 points
after knocking down 6-of-11 shots from long distance. Northridge
finished with 12-of-25 three’s made which proved to
be the difference as the Highlanders could only get 3-of-14
attempts from long range to fall.
For the first team all
season the shots finally fell for the young UCR squad, who
finished the first 20 minutes shooting a season-best 14-of-23
(60.9%). The Highlanders held leads for nearly the entire
first half and opened up their largest lead, 21-11 after a
sophomore Sean Cunningham three at the 10:21 mark. The hot
shooting continued as junior Chris Johnson’s jumper
from the right wing gave UCR a 33-24 lead with just over four
minutes remaining in the half. The Matadors answered though,
using two three’s from Rob Haynes to close out the half
on a 10-1 run to erase the Highlander double-digit lead and
send the two teams into the break tied at 34-34.
Through the first 20 minutes,
UCR had won the battle on the boards 20-15 and also outscored
CSUN in the paint 20-5. Barlow led all scorers at the half
with 15 points mainly by attacking the basket in the early
minutes.
A tough second half of
shooting greeted the Highlanders after the break, shooting
10-of-29 (34.5%) in the second period. Even with the stingy
UC Riverside defense swarming to the ball, making eight steals
and forcing 13 turnovers, the Matadors hit the shot when it
counted and eventually overcame the Highlander pressure.
With 7:41 remaining in
the game, freshman Jalonni Diggs beat a Northridge defender
on the baseline and laid one up and in to give UCR a 50-45
lead. Both teams continued to trade baskets for the next three
minutes before a three by Tresvant at the 4:30 mark answered
a lay-up by junior Aaron Scott that had given UCR a two point
lead, 54-52 the possession earlier. Tresvant’s three
started a 9-3 run, ending with a Tremaine Townsend layup that
put CSUN up 66-57 with 52 seconds left. Senior Larry Cunningham
made a couple free-throws and then hit his own three to cut
to 66-62 but the Matadors were able to hold onto the ball
and run out the clock.
Barlow finished with 20
points after sustaining a hip injury after crashing to floor
after a Matador had fouled him during a layup attempt early
in the second half. Scott added 11 points and six rebounds
and Sean Cunningham chipped in with seven points, seven boards,
and dished out six assists in the losing effort.
UCR closes out their three-game
homestand when Long Beach State comes to the Student Rec Center
on Saturday. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m.
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