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(February 28, 2008) –
UC Riverside got a career-high 17 points from junior Arron
Scott and senior Larry Cunningham also put up 17 but the Highlanders
(7-18, 3-10 Big West) suffered an 70-63 overtime loss to Cal
Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA Thursday night.
UCR produced another solid
defensive effort, limiting the Mustangs (11-15, 6-7 Big West)
to 8-of-25 (32.0%) first-half shooting and also forced 17
turnovers. But Cal Poly rallied back from a six-point half
time deficit and scored the final five points in regulation
to send the game into overtime.
The Highlanders used eight
first-half points from Cunningham to take a 25-19 lead at
the half. Cal Poly opened the second half with an 11-5 run
to regain the lead, 32-30 for the first time since the 12:10
mark of the first half.
Both teams would trade baskets for most of the half, before
a small 6-2 UCR spurt, capped by a Cunningham free-throw,
matched their largest lead of the game 45-38 with just over
eight minutes left in regulation. The Mustangs then started
to rally back, slowly chipping away at the UCR lead as the
Highlanders missed three of their six free-throw attempts
in the final minutes.
Junior Christian Soto’s two free-throws at the 1:53
mark re-opened up a five-point lead for the Highlanders, 57-52.
Poly then made three of their next four trips to the line
after forcing UCR missed shot and a Riverside turnover to
get ball for the final shot. Titus Shelton’s jumper
with just three seconds remaining sent the two teams into
overtime tied at 57-57.
Cal Poly outscored the Highlanders
11-6 in the extra session, limiting UCR to 36.8% shooting
in the extra five minutes to pick up the Big West victory.The
Mustangs took advantage of 52% second-half shooting to close
the gap and eventually hold on for the win.
Scott also grabbed a game-high
nine boards and junior Cleavon Barlow added 11 points for
the Highlanders who despite the loss, stay in seventh place
and continue to hold a spot for the Big West conference tournament
after eighth place, Long Beach State fell to UC Irvine earlier
in the night.
UCR continues on the road
with a match-up at UC Davis on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
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