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(Nov. 2, 2007) -The UC Riverside
Men’s Basketball team lost their exhibition game with
UC San Diego 67-61, Friday night at the UCR Student Recreation
Center. Senior Larry Cunningham finished with a game-high
28 points including 15-for-18 from the line.
Junior Christian Soto added
nine points and red-shirt sophomore Sean Cunningham finished
with seven points. Sophomore Cleavon Barlow led the Highlanders
with six rebounds all on the defensive end. Larry Cunningham
finished 6-12 (50.0%) from the floor and added five rebounds.
New Head Coach Jim Wooldridge gave nearly every player some
time on the floor throughout the night as11 different Highlanders
appeared in the game, with nine recording baskets.
Clint Allard finished with
20 points to lead the Tritons and Andrew Hatch added 14. UCSD
shot 10-19 (52.6%) from the floor and out-rebounded UCR 16-15
in the first half.
Both squads came out playing
a very up-tempo pace, leading to some sloppy play and easy
baskets for either team to start the game. UCR was down 21-14
late in the first half when the Highlanders started playing
some good defense. UCR went on a 10-2 run highlighted by consecutive
steals with Sean Cunningham finishing the second with a dunk
to take a 24 –21 Highlander lead with two minutes left.
UCSD answered with a three
to tie it at 24-24 but Soto was fouled on the ensuing UCR
possession and was able to get the shot to fall and then made
the free-throw to complete the three-point play to make it
27-24. The Tritons again answered, this time with a 6-2 run
to take a 30-29 lead into the half.
The difference was the shooting
efforts of both squads in the second half. UCSD opened the
second half with a 17-4 run to open their lead to 47-33 with
12 minutes remaining. The Tritons shot 10-for-23 (43.5) in
the second half and UCR shot 6-16 (37.6) in the half and finished
16-for-39 (41.0 %) from the field on the night.
UCR went on a 10-3 run capped
at the 4:14 mark when Larry Cunningham made two free throws
to cut the Triton lead to four, 54-50 UCSD. The Tritons stopped
the run with a three just inside the three-minute mark to
open their lead back to 58-50.
The Highlanders continued
to battle with Larry Cunningham leading the way, he picking
up a lay-up to cut it to six with 2:25 left on clock. He followed
with his 13th free throw of the night to make it a four point
game with 72 seconds remaining. He added his 25th make from
the line to cut it two, 59-53 with 30 seconds left.
UCSD held strong, forcing
a Sean Cunningham three-point attempt that missed and was
rebounded by the Tritons. UC San Diego made their free throws
down the stretch to open it up to 63-56 with 21 seconds left.
With time running out, Barlow
beat a UCSD defender on the baseline and finished the drive
with a dunk for the Highlanders to cut the Triton lead to
five with 13 seconds to play. UCR had to foul on the following
inbounds play and UCSD closed out the game by making their
final nine free-throw attempts.
The Highlanders open their
2007-08 season next Saturday at 11 a.m. (PST) against Head
Coach Bobby Knight and his Texas Tech Red Raiders in Lubbock,
TX.
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