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(Nov. 3, 2003) -Casandra
Reeves impressionable sophomore season is still on the mind
of the media as Reeves is selected to the Big West Conference
Preseason Media All-Conference Team on Wednesday. The Highlanders
were also tabbed to finish fifth in the preseason media poll
and sixth in the coaches poll.
Reeves was the Highlanders’
top scorer averaging nearly 16 points a game last season.
Joining Reeves on this distinguished list are Kristen Mann,
Lindsay Taylor and April McDivitt of UC Santa Barbara, Gillian
d’Hondt of Pacific and Ofa Tulikihihifo of Cal State
Northridge.
“I think Casandra
making the team is an obvious choice being one of the top
scorers in the conference as a sophomore and the only point
guard named to the all-conference team last year,” noted
Head Coach Jennifer Young. “To just be included in a
group like this is an honor. Now she’ll have to step
up to the challenge from players like April McDivitt.”
Also announced today were
the media and coaches preseason polls. The Highlanders were
picked to finish fifth in the media poll and sixth in the
coaches poll.
“I think we should
have been ranked higher,” said Young. “But I have
never had a problem with being ranked low. We take on the
mentality of the underdog and set our sites on a higher goal.”
In the team’s first
season in the Big West and in NCAA Division I competition,
UCR was picked to finish last in the conference, but used
an amazing 16-13 record to finish third in the conference.
Last season injuries plagued the Highlanders who finished
8-20 and seventh overall.
UCR opens the 2003-04 season
with an exhibition game at home on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the
Student Recreation Center against Cal State Los Angeles.
(Nov. 8, 2003) -- The UC
Riverside women’s basketball team edged out Cal State
Los Angeles, 94-87, in a high-scoring exhibition game at the
Student Recreation Center on Saturday night.
Casandra Reeves notched
18 of her team-high 23 points in the second half including
four three-point baskets to give the Highlanders a small cushion
heading into the final minutes of the game.
A vulnerable UCR defense
and the shooting attack of the Golden Eagles gave way to a
close first half where Cal State Los Angeles trailed just
47-45 heading into the break.
Cal State Los Angeles was
able to stay with the Highlanders thanks to Shanna Demus’
dominant three-point scoring in the first half. Demus nailed
all 19 of her points in the first half, hitting five of her
seven baskets beyond the arc.
Monica Tokoro led Cal State
Los Angeles in scoring with 30 point, hitting 17 of those
points in the second half.
Reeves and center LaKeima Stephens led the way for the Highlanders
in the second half. Stephens dominated the paint for UCR,
hitting all nine of her shots from the key.
The Highlanders held in
the end, hitting 20-of-43 shots in the second half to the
Gold Eagles 14-for-35 shooting in the frame.
UC Riverside begins the
2003-04 campaign on the road at Montana State on Friday, Nov.
21. The Highlanders open the home schedule on Friday, Dec.
5 against Loyola Marymount starting at 7:00 p.m.
AGATE FOLLOWS
Exhibition Game
Cal State Los Angeles 87 UC Riverside 94
Cal State Los Angeles (87)
Stricker 2-10 0-1 4, Nunez 2-6 0-0 9, Gonzalez 1-4 0-0 2,
Demus 7-14 5-10 19, Oda 4-7 4-4 12, Tennies 1-6 0-3 2, Tokoro
10-20 3-3 30, Utz 4-6 0-0 9. Totals – 30-73 13-23 87.
UC Riverside (94)
Reber 4-5 0-1 8, Harris 5-12 0-0 12, Stephens 9-17 0-0 19,
Reeves 9-13 5-8 23, Peters 3-8 0-0 8, Nicolls 2-4 0-0 4, Peterson
1-3 0-1 2, Rockett 0-0 0-0 0, Muir 4-6 0-1 12, Valdez 2-6
0-0 4, Bates 0-1 0-1 0. Totals – 39-75 5-12 94.
Halftime – UCR 47,
CSLA 45. Three-point goals –CSLA 13-23 (Demus 5-10,
Oda 4-4, Tokoro 3-3, Nunez 1-2, Tennies 0-3, Sticker 0-1);
UCR 5-12 (Reeves 5-8, Peterson 0-1, Reber 0-1, Bates 0-1,
Muir 0-1). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – not available.
Assists – Not available. Total fouls – CSLA 17,
UCR 15. Technical fouls – None. Att. 285.
(Nov 20, 2002) - The UC
Riverside women's basketball team signed its first player
of the 2002 early signing period Wednesday, as 5-6 point guard
Brittney Nicolls of Fresno, CA signed a National Letter of
Intent.
Nicolls will graduate from
Clovis West High School in the Spring and will enter UCR as
a freshman. Brittney led her team to two league championships
and two Valley Championships. She was a two-time all-city
player during her sophomore and junior year.
“Britt is a scoring
point guard with great feel for the game,” Head Coach
Jennifer Young said. “She has good court sense and her
ability fits right in with the direction we are taking this
program.”
UCR plays in their season
opener on Friday, November 22 at Southern Utah University.
BOX
SCORE
(Nov 21, 2003) - After trailing
just one point at the half, the UC Riverside women's basketball
team could not find the basket in the second half in the team's
season-opening 91-66 loss to Montana State at Worthington
Arena Friday night.
The Bobcats (1-0) used a
19-4 run over the first six minutes of the second half, and
outscored the Highlanders (0-1) 53-29 in the frame. UCR shot
50 percent (11-for-22) from the field in the first half, but
shot just 20.6 percent (7-for-34) in the second.
In the opening half, Montana
State took an early charge, building a 21-11 lead over the
first seven minutes, but the Highlanders had an 11-2 run over
the next 5:29, even taking a 30-26 lead at one point. Montana
State would end up hitting a late field goal in to take a
38-37 lead heading into the intermission.
Junior Casandra Reeves led
the Highlanders with 23 points, including going 3-for-7 from
beyond the arc. Three other UCR players had nine points, led
by sophomore Kirstin Muir who had a team-high seven rebounds
and was 9-for-10 at the free-throw line in just 20 minutes
of action.
Sheila Hutchinson had a
game-high 25 points for the Bobcats and snagged eight rebounds.
The Highlanders will head
to Pepperdine next week to participate in the YellowBook Turkey
Shootout on Friday and Saturday. UCR will face Pepperdine
on Friday at 5:00 p.m.
The UC Riverside women’s
basketball announced Nicole Davis and Kemie Nkele signed National
Letters of Intent to join the Highlanders beginning in the
2004-05 season on Tuesday.
Davis, a 5’7”
guard, is a two-year letterwinner at Riverside Poly HS who
was a first team All-Ivy League and an All-County selection
the past two seasons. Voted by area coaches as one of the
best outside shooters and defenders, Davis is a multi-faced
guard.
“Nicole will be able
to offer our program increased speed and tenacious defense
in the guard position,” said UCR Head Coach Jennifer
Young. “She is also very strong driving to the basket
with no fear and has an outstanding three-point touch.”
Nkele, a 6’1”
power forward from Mira Mesa High School (San Diego, CA),
is a three-year letterwinner in basketball and a two-time
letterwinner in track. She was the team’s starting center
as a freshman, earning second team All-Eastern League honors
that year. She was hampered by injuries her sophomore and
junior seasons, but averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds a game
in summer ball before the start of this season.
“Kemie will be a
big presence for us,” added Young. “She is a strong
player in the paint. I think her greatest attribute is her
rebounding ability.”
The Highlanders continue
the 2003-04 season at Pepperdine participating in the YellowBook
Turkey Shootout with the Waves, Oklahoma and Siena this weekend.
The Highlanders face host Pepperdine at 5:00 p.m. PST on Friday,
Nov. 28 and will play in the 5:00 p.m. consolation game or
the 7:15 p.m. championship game on Saturday depending on Friday’s
outcome.
BOX
SCORE
(November 28, 2003) - Lackluster
shooting and costly second-half turnovers worked against the
Highlanders' hopes of catching host Pepperdine as the women's
basketball team lost, 70-57, in the opening game of the YellowBook
Turkey Shootout Friday evening.
The Highlanders (0-2) trailed
by as much as 20 points in the game, but managed to cut the
deficit down to seven before turnovers helped keep the Waves
(2-1) in the game.
Down, 35-24, at the half,
UCR managed a 6-2 run to open the second half, before the
Highlanders turned the ball over six times in the team's next
10 possessions, while Pepperdine hit five unanswered points
to lead, 44-32, with 13 minutes remaining in the game.
For the next eight minutes,
both teams went back-and-forth, until Pepperdine took control
of the game in the final five minutes.
The Highlanders committed
17 second-half turnovers, compared to Pepperdine's 13 and
shot just 35.8 percent from the field the entire game.
The Highlanders struggled
to get their offense rolling in the game, scoring their first
two points off free throws and not hitting a field goal until
5:18 into the half on a drive to the hoop by senior Crystal
Harris.
Pepperdine set the tempo
of the game early, hitting three unanswered field goals, including
two three-pointers, to take a quick 8-0 lead in the opening
minutes.
Trailing by as much as 20
points in the first half, the Highlanders were able to turn
up the heat in the last part of the frame. UCR went on a 15-6
run over the last 6:30, capping the period off with nine unanswered
points over the last three minutes, to trail, 35-24, heading
into the intermission.
Junior forward Jodi Reber
lit it up the second half, scoring 11 of her career-best and
team-high 17 points in the period. She also led the team with
six rebounds. Junior guard Casandra Reeves scored 14 points
in the game, but did not score her first point until the 14:23
mark of the first half, finishing the game with 14 points.
The Highlanders will face
the loser of Friday's second game between No. 19 Oklahoma
and Siena in the tournament's consolation game at 5:00 p.m.
on Saturday. UCR opens the home schedule against Loyola Marymount
on Friday, Dec. 5 at the UCR Student Recreation Center at
7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on radio at KUCR (88.1
FM) and on television at KHIZ-TV (Ch. 64).
BOX
SCORE
(November 29, 2003) -The
Highlanders were unable to find the basket in the second half
as the UC Riverside women's basketball team fell, 85-58, to
Siena in the consolation game of the YellowBook Turkey Shootout
hosted by Pepperdine Saturday evening.
The Highlanders (0-3) scored
just five field goals in the second half, compared to the
Saints' (2-2) 19 after trailing by only four points, 34-31,
after the first period.
Siena would shoot 52.8 percent
(19-for-36) from the field while UCR could manage only hitting
on 17.2 percent of the team's attempts from the field in the
second half. UCR shot 30.2 percent while Siena shot an even
50 percent in the game.
It looked as if this may
be a winnable game for the Highlanders in the first half.
UCR was able to get on the board first and never trailed until
Siena's Nathalie Marchand hit a basket to give the Saints
a 22-20 lead 12:54 into the first period.
Both teams battled back
and forth the remainder of the first frame, with UCR leading
by as much as five points and the lead changing eight times,
until the Saints pulled ahead for good in the last few minutes
and leading, 35-31, at the half.
UCR's Casandra Reeves cut
the Saints' lead down to one, 35-34, in the opening minutes
of the second half with a layup at the 18:42 mark, but Siena
would score 14 unanswered points over the next four minutes
to shut down the Highlanders. The Saints led by as much as
23 in the game.
For the third straight game,
Reeves hit double figures and for the second time this year
she led the team in rebounds with seven. Four Siena players
scored in double figures with Jolene Johnston leading the
way with 19 points.
UCR opens the home schedule
against Loyola Marymount on Friday, Dec. 5 at the UCR Student
Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast
on radio at KUCR (88.1 FM) and on television at KHIZ-TV (Ch.
64).
BOX
SCORE
(December 5, 2003) -Loyola
Marymount left the UC Riverside women’s basketball team
still looking for the team’s first win of the season
beating the Highlanders, 82-66, in UCR’s home opener
Friday night.
The Highlanders (0-4) played
close in the first half, trailing by only five, 41-36, heading
into the break, but the Lions (5-1) were able to build a healthy
lead midway through the second half. At one point LMU led
by as many as 27 points.
Senior Crystal Harris led
the Highlanders with 21 points and helped spark a late UCR
rally with back-to-back three pointers with just over three
minutes left in the game, helping to cut the LMU lead to 16.
LMU had four players score
double-figure points, with Kate Murray leading the team with
20, Mary Turner had 13 and Adrianne Slaughter and Jenni Smith
each had 12.
Three Highlanders, including
Harris, scored over 10 points. Junior Casandra Reeves and
Jodi Reber each had a dozen points. Reeves set a new personal
best with nine assists.
UCR heads to the Pacific
Northwest next week when they face Gonzaga and Eastern Washington,
before returning home to host Southern Florida on Friday,
December 19 at the Student Recreation Center. Tip off is set
for 7:00 p.m.
BOX
SCORE
The UC Riverside women's
basketball team is still searching for their first win of
the season after a 96-81 loss at Eastern Washington Tuesday
in a non-conference match-up at Reese Court.
UCR could not contain Eastern
Washington's top scorer, Kathleen Nygaard, in the second half.
Nygaard scored 13 of her 20 points in the frame, finishing
with the game's only double-double with 16 rebounds.
Nygaard was one of three
Eagles with 20-plus points in the game. Stephanine Ulmer scored
21 points and Felice Moore had 20.
The Eagles (5-4) used strong
second half shooting, hitting 60 percent from the field (21-for-35)
in the half compared to the Highlanders (0-6) 44.1 percent
(15-34).
UCR trailed by eight points
heading into the break with the score 45-37 with EWU led by
as much as 14 points in the first half.
The Highlanders were unable
to match the Eagles shot-for-shot in the second half, falling
behind by 14 points, 54-40, wit just over 16 minutes left
in the game.
UCR managed to cut the lead
down to as close as nine points in the second half, but faltered
late in the game after a 10-2 run over two minutes to trail,
96-78, heading into the final minute of the game.
The Highlanders opened
the game by scoring the first four points and keeping the
Eagles scoreless for nearly the first three minutes, but EWU
went on a 21-3 run over the next 6:14 to take a 21-7 lead
at the 11:36 mark.
With the Eagles leading
29-15 with just over eight minutes left in the half, UCR started
its best run so far in the game, outscoring EWU 13-5 over
the next three minutes to cut the lead to six, 34-28.
For the remainder of the
first half, both teams battled back-and-forth, but the Highlanders
were able to just cut the lead down to eight points.
Junior guard Casandra Reeves
was one of four Highlanders with double-digit scoring, leading
the team with 22 points and barely missed the team's first
double-double of the season with nine assists.
Senior center LaKeima Stephens
had an opportunity to hit a double-double herself, scoring
20 points and grabbing nine boards.
Freshman Brittney Nicolls
showed promise for the future, scoring 15 points. Junior forward
Jodi Reber had 10 points and seven assists.
The Highlanders return home
to host South Florida on Friday, Dec. 19 at the Student Recreation
Center starting at 7:00 p.m. UCR will then travel to San Diego
to face Point Loma Nazarene on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 7:00 p.m.
before taking a break for the holidays.
BOX
SCORE
Five games and counting
for the UC Riverside women's basketball team who remain winless
after a 68-54 loss at Gonzaga Sunday afternoon.
The Highlanders (0-5) continue
to struggle with their opponents, being outscored by the Bulldogs
(5-5), 45-30, in the first half. In the second stanza, UCR
could only muster a one-point advantage, barely outscoring
Gonzaga, 24-23.
Gonzaga took the first lead
of the game and never relinquished it, building it up to 15
points in the first half and 23 in the second.
The Bulldogs won the battle
on the glass, snagging 40 rebounds to UCR's 31 including a
20-10 advantage in offensive boards.
Turnovers again plagued
the Highlanders, with Gonzaga scoring 20 points off UCR's
miscues. The Highlanders managed just eight points off turnovers.
Four Gonzaga players managed
double-digit scoring in the contest, while just two Highlanders
were able to reach the mark.
Reanna Jewell led GU with
18 points, Ashley Anderson managed 12 and Shannon Mathews
and Ashley Burke had 10.
Junior Jodi Reber led UCR
with 14 points and snagged five rebounds. Junior Casandra
Reeves had a season-low 11 points. Senior LaKeima Stephens
and freshman Heather Bates each had a game-high seven rebounds.
The Highlanders' next opportunity
to try for their first win will come Tuesday, Dec. 16, when
the team travels to eastern Washington for a 7:00 p.m. game.
UCR returns home to host South Florida on Friday, Dec. 19
at the Student Recreation Center. Tip off is set for 7:00
p.m.
BOX
SCORE
The UC Riverside women’s
basketball team suffered their biggest loss of the season
to visiting South Florida, 93-59, Friday night in a non-conference
game at the Student Recreation Center Friday night.
The 0-7 Highlanders are
off to their slowest start since the 2001-02 season—their
first as an NCAA Division I team. In that season, the Highlanders
started off 0-6, but pulled together for 16-13 finish and
second place in the Big West standings.
UCR played the Bulls (4-4)
close in the first half, trailing by four points, 41-37, at
the break, but in the second half, USF outscored UCR, 52-22.
The Highlanders gave up
42 points off their 26 turnovers in the game and only scored
nine off USF’s miscues. UCR finished with 26 turnovers
in the game.
Four Bulls hit double-figure
points with Jessica Dickson leading both teams with 25 points.
Nalini Miller scored 13, Andrea Armstrong scored 12 and Alana
Tanksley scored 11 for USF.
Junior Guard Casandra Reeves
led the Highlanders with 18 points, freshman forward Heather
Bates was next with 12 and Jodi Reber had 10 for UCR.
The Highlanders play their
final non-conference road game on Saturday, Dec. 20 at Point
Loma Nazarene. The team will take 10 days off for the Holidays
and wrap up the non-conference schedule at home against Sacramento
State on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at the Student Recreation Center.
Tip off is set for 7:00 p.m. PST
BOX
SCORE
The UC Riverside women's
basketball team dropped their eighth straight decision of
the season in a 72-45 loss at Point Loma Nazarene in the team's
final non-conference road game of the season Saturday evening.
The Highlanders are now 0-8 on the season.
The Sea Lions (4-4) trounced
on UCR in the first half, hitting 11-of-19 from three-point
land. Point Loma's Jessica Mercado scored 24 of the team's
45 first-half points-topping the Highlanders' total first
half effort of 21 points.
With 14 tres in the game,
the Sea Lions ties Gonzaga with the most three-point shots
scored against the Highlanders. The Bulldogs score 14 against
UCR on Dec. 31, 2001.
UCR's top scorer, junior
guard Casandra Reeves, was held to just to just two points
in the game. Junior forward Jodi Reber and senior center LaKeima
Stephens scored a team-high 10 points in the contest.
The Highlanders committed
a season-high 33 turnovers, with the Sea Lions capitalizing
on UCR's miscues for 28 points.
UCR will take 10 days off
for the Holidays and return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 30
when they host Sacramento State for the team's final non-conference
game of the season. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
BOX
SCORE
After finding out early
in the week that the team would be without starters Casandra
Reeves and Heather Bates due to injuries, the UC Riverside
women’s basketball team came together and grabbed their
first win of the season, 58-50, over visiting Sacramento State
in the final non-conference game of the season Tuesday.
Each team entered the game
winless on the season, but it was the Highlanders getting
the win to improve to 1-8 and the Hornets falling to 0-11.
UCR took the lead midway
through the first half and held it until just past the half-way
point of the second, before Sacramento State fought back to
make it a close finish.
A jumper by the Hornets’
Sarah Craig knotted the game up, 39-39, with just over nine
minutes to play in the game. The score would see-saw the next
six minutes, with the hornets taking their final lead of the
game, 46-45, at the 4:07 mark.
With 3:35 left, UCR’s
Kristin Peters drove the left side of the lane and hit a reverse
lay-up as time was running out on the shot clock to give the
Highlanders the lead, 48-46, they would never relinquish.
The Highlanders led by
just one point heading towards the final minute of the game,
but a pair of free throws from Jodi Reber and a key layup
by LaKeima Stephens gave UCR a five-point cushion with the
score 53-48 with just over 30 seconds to play.
Both teams struggled in
the first half, with UCR taking a 21-16 lead into the intermission
and neither team hitting over 25 percent from the floor in
the frame. UCR shot 24.2 percent (8-33) while CSUS hit just
20 percent (7-35).
Stephens hit the team’s
first double-double of the year leading the game with 16 points
and 17 boards. The 17 rebounds are a career-high for the senior
center and the first time a Highlander has had double-digit
rebounds in a game.
Reeves, the team’s
leading scorer, suffered an ankle sprain and may have broken
her right fibula in practice, while Bates was diagnosed with
a stress fracture in her left tibia. Both players are expected
to miss between 4-6 weeks,
The Highlanders being Big
West Conference action on Saturday, January 3 at Pacific and
then head to Cal State Northridge on Monday, January 5. Both
games are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.
BOX
SCORE
(Jan. 3, 2004) -- A three-point
basket with seconds remaining in the game helped Pacific top
the UC Riverside women's basketball team, 65-61, at the Spanos
Center in the first Big West Conference game of the season
for both teams.
Down 62-61 in the final
seconds of the half, the Tigers (2-8, 1-0 Big West) put the
game out of reach when Jessie Menkens drained a three from
the right side with 18 seconds left putting the Highlanders
(1-9, 0-1 Big West) behind four points.
UCR trailed by as much as
eight points in the first half, but battled back to take a
35-32 lead into the intermission.
The Highlanders and Tigers
played a closer second half with the lead changing six times
in the frame.
Pacific's Gillian d'Hondt
snagged the lead from UCR hitting a shot with 3:33 left in
the game to give the Tigers a 58-57 lead they never relinquished,
leading by as much as five points, 62-57, with just over two
minutes remaining.
A pair of free throws by
junior guard Jennifer Valdez and a jumper by senior Crystal
Harris put UCR within one, 62-61, with a minute left in the
game until Menken's basket.
Harris gave the Highlanders
their first lead of the game, hitting a jumper from the left
side just inside three-point arc to give the team a 30-29
lead with just over two minutes remaining in the half.
With the score knotted,
32-32, junior forward Jodi Reber hit a three-pointer with
just a few ticks left in the half to give the Highlanders
the lead.
Harris led the Highlanders
with 20 points, Reber had 11 and junior point guard Holly
Peterson had 10 points. Senior center LaKeima Stephens led
the team with 10 rebounds.
D'Hondt had a game-high
26 points and nine rebounds, while Nancy Dinges had 13 points
for the Tigers.
The Highlanders will travel
to Cal State Northridge on Monday, January 5 and then to Cal
State Fullerton on Saturday, January 10. UCR opens the 2003-04
Big West Conference home schedule against UC Irvine on Thursday,
January 15 at the Student Recreation Center. All three games
begin at 7:00 p.m. PST.
BOX
SCORE
(Jan. 5, 2004) --Senior
Crystal Harris tied a career-best mark with 26 points as the
UC Riverside women's basketball team held on for a 66-64 win
against Cal State Northridge in a Big West Conference contest
at the Matadome Monday.
Harris' 26 points included
a go-ahead basket with four seconds remaining in the game
to give the Highlanders (2-9, 1-1 Big West) the lead, 66-64,
and their second win of the season.
"I think the best thing
that came out of this is that we played two close games back-to-back
and we tonight we leaned how to win the close ones," said
Head Coach Jennifer Young. "We had two huge performances from
Holly (Peterson), who has run the point for us the last two
games, and Crystal (Harris) who stepped up with two 20-point
games."
Northridge (1-9, 0-2 Big
West) made UCR work for the win, coming back from a 10-point
deficit and tying the game twice in the final five minutes
of the game.
CSUN's Ofa Tulikihihifo
hit a jumper with 1:18 left in the game to bring the score
within two, 64-62, and then hit another with 21 seconds left
to knot the game up, 64-64.
UCR inbounded the ball and
was able to find Harris open who drove the lane and hit the
shot with just four ticks on the clock for the win.
Harris led the team in
scoring and added eight rebounds. Against Pacific Harris scored
20 points and it is the third time this season she hit 20-or-more
points.
Junior point guard Holly
Peterson had 16 points including going 4-for-7 from three-point
range.
Tulikihihifo led the Matadors
with 17 points and a share of the lead in rebounds with seven
with LaJoyce King who had 15 points.
The Highlanders continue
on the road against Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, January
10. The team opens their home Big West schedule against UC
Irvine on Thursday, January 15 at the Student Recreation Center.
BOX
SCORE
The UC Riverside women's
basketball team was unable to secure their second Big West
victory of the season in a 68-56 loss to Cal State Fullerton
at Titan Gym on Saturday night.
The Highlanders (2-10, 1-2
Big West) were unable to come back from the Titans' (2-10,
2-1 Big West) 29-26 halftime lead.
Cal State Fullerton built
on it right off the bat in the second half, never relinquishing
the lead to UC Riverside.
After opening the frame
with five unanswered points, the Titans would lead 34-26 inside
the first minute of the second. CSUF would lead by as much
as 14 points in the period.
Again the perimeter defense
was a weakness for the Highlanders, allowing 11 three-point
baskets with six of those coming in the in the second half
alone. It was the fourth time this season, UCR allowed 10-or-more
threes in a game.
The Titans' leading scorer,
Tamara Quinn, led the offensive charge in the second half,
hitting the first 11 points of the half for CSUF. Quinn led
the game with 24 points, including three three-point baskets.
The Titans took control
early in the game, opening the first half with a 12-2 run
over the first four minutes, but the Highlanders came back
using a 12-2 run of their own to take their first lead of
the game, 14-12, with 11:55.left in the half.
The period saw the lead
go back-and-forth changing four times, but it was the Titans
taking a 29-26 lead into the intermission.
UCR had three players score
double-figure points with Crystal Harris leading the way with
14, Kristen Peters had 13 and LaKeima Stephens had 11.
Quinn was one of three Titans
to score double-figure points. Charlee Underwood had 12 points
and 10 rebounds. Rochelle Ortega had 10 points.
UC Riverside opens the 2003-04
Big West home schedule next week, hosting UC Irvine and Long
Beach State. The Highlanders and Anteaters square off on Thursday,
Jan. 15 and then host the 49ers on Saturday, Jan. 17. Both
games tip-off at 7:10 p.m.
BOX
SCORE
(Jan. 15, 2004) - Junior
guard Casandra Reeves hit jumper with just :02 seconds on
the clock to break a tie and give the UC Riverside women’s
basketball team a 55-53 victory over visiting UC Irvine in
a Big West Conference contest Thursday night at the Student
Recreation Center. It was Reeves’ first game since suffering
an injury to her leg in late December.
After the Anteaters (1-11,
0-4 Big West) recovered from an 11-point deficit to take the
lead, 53-51, late in the first half, the Highlanders’
(3-10, 2-2 Big West) junior forward Jodi Reber knotted the
game up, 53-53, with just over a minute to play.
UCI called a timeout with
:36 left in the game after an Anteater turnover, giving UCR
the ball and the chance to take the lead.
Reeves brought the ball
down the court, eating time off the clock and took a jumper
from the right side of the court hitting the shot and giving
UCI just :11 to force overtime, but the UCR defense was able
to prevent UCI from getting off a shot before time expired.
The first half was a battle
back and forth with no team taking a decisive lead and the
lead changing six times before the Highlanders were able to
build a four-point lead, 27-23, heading into the intermission.
UCR came out strong in
the beginning of the second half, hitting seven unanswered
points to build to a 39-28 lead with 14:53 left in the game.
The Highlanders would control
the game until the Anteaters went on a 14-2 run in just over
six minutes to lead, 53-49, with 2:23 left in the contest.
The Anteaters did manage
to outshoot the Highlanders hitting 37.5 percent (18-for-48)
from the field compared to UCR’s 35.6 percent (21-59)
effort.
Each team had three players
in double-figure scoring with senior forward Crystal Harris
leading the way for UCR with 13 points. Reeves and Reber each
had 10 points. Junior forward Kristin Peters only had five
points, but led the squad with eight rebounds.
Christina Callaway had
a double-double for the Anteaters, leading the team with 14
points and 10 rebounds. Ashley Biggins and Katie Urban each
had 10 points.
The Highlanders continue
Big West Conference action on Saturday, January 17 hosting
Long Beach State at the Student Recreation Center beginning
at 7:00 p.m.
BOX
SCORE
(Jan. 15, 2004) - The UC
Riverside women’s basketball team was unable to pull
back-to-back wins after falling to visiting Long Beach State,
56-48, at the Student Recreation Center Saturday night.
The Highlanders (3-11,
2-3 Big West) trailed by just two points, 46-44, heading into
the last three minutes of the game, but were unable to match
the 49ers (6-9, 2-4 Big West) shot for shot, falling behind
52-44, with just under a minute on the clock.
UCR tried their best to
stay in the game, with junior Casandra Reeves and junior forward
Jodi Reber hitting back-to-back shots to cut the lead to just
four, 52-58, with :26 left on the clock, but the Highlanders
had no choice and had to foul the 49ers to try to get the
ball back.
LBSU’s Crystal McCutcheon
hit a pair of free throws and then a layup with just five
ticks on the clock to put the game well out of reach.
Each team had three players
scoring double-figure points with LBSU’s Jayme Connors
leading the way with 16 points. Petra Glaeser and McCucheon
each had 13. Glaeser barely missed a double-double with nine
boards.
For UCR, Reber led the charge with 12 points, while Reeves
had 11 and senior Crystal Harris had 10.
The 49ers outshot the Highlanders
42.2 percent (19-for-45) to UCR’s 34.4 percent (21-for-61).
The Highlanders were looking
for their first consecutive wins of the season after topping
UC Irvine, 55-53, on Thursday.
UCR will be on the road
next week facing Idaho and Utah State. The Highlanders and
Vandals meet first on January 22 at 7:00 p.m. and then head
to Logan, UT, to face the Aggies on January 24 at 3:00 p.m.
# # #
BOX
SCORE
The UC Riverside women's
basketball team fell, 75-59, to Idaho Thursday night at the
Cowan Spectrum in a Big West Conference contest.
The Highlanders (3-12, 2-4
Big West) trailed by just three points, 35-32, to the Vandals
(13-2, 5-1 Big West) at the half, but were outscored 40-27
in the second frame.
In the second half, the
score stayed relatively close for the first five minutes,
but Idaho used a 13-4 run in just less than five minutes to
take a 54-45 lead at the 10:54 mark.
The Vandals build the lead
to double-figures, 60-49, with 6:29 left in the game and built
it up to as much as 17 points.
Idaho dominated UCR from
the field, hitting 51 percent (14-for-25) of their shots compared
to the Highlanders' 36.4 percent effort (13-for-35).
Four Vandals scored double-figure
points in the game. Emily Faurholt led both teams with 29
points and nine rebounds, Leilani Mitchell scored 15 points
and dished out nine assists, Heather Tholke had 14 points
and eight boards and Taylor Benson scored 11 points.
Casandra Reeves led UCR
with 18 points, Crystal Harris had 14 points and Jodi Reber
led the team with seven rebounds along with her 12 points.
The Highlanders continue
the team-game road swing at Utah State on Saturday, January
24 with a 3:00 p.m. tip.
BOX
SCORE
Senior Crystal Harris set
a new career-high with 29 points, helping the UC Riverside
Basketball team to an 89-62 win at Utah State in a Big West
Conference contest Saturday afternoon. Harris scored 21 of
her game-high 29 points in the first half, and played in only
28 minutes of the game.
The Highlanders (4-12, 3-4
Big West) trailed early in the game, but a 19-4 run over the
next seven minutes put UCR ahead, 21-12, of the Aggies (2-13,
2-5 Big West) at the 10-minute mark of the first half and
then led, 41-25, at the intermission.
UCR continued its offensive
assault in the second half leading by as much as 32 points
while the defense did not let USU get closer than 14 points.
Four Highlanders were able
to score double-figure points with senior Astrid Spegal recording
a double-double with a new career marks in points with 12
and rebounds with 10. Junior Casandra Reeves had 19 points
and six assists and junior Kristen Peters had 10 points.
The Aggies' Ali Aird hit
26 poitns and had eight rebounds. Aird was the only Aggie
with more than 10 points.
The Highlanders return home
to host UCSB on Thursday, January 29 and Cal Poly on Saturday,
January 31 at the Student Recreation Center. Both games begin
at 7:00 p.m.
Senior Crystal Harris scored
her 1,000th career point at Idaho on January 22 and will be
recognized for the milestone acheivement prior to the start
of Saturday's game against Cal Poly at the Student Recreation
Center.
With 196 points so far this
season, Harris is seventh all time with 1,041 points in her
four years with the team. Tawanna Terry (1993-96) is sixth
with 1,073 career points, Becky Geeson (1987-92) is fifth
with 1,081 points and Rachel Rosario (1989-93) is fourth with
1,265 points.
1,000 Point Club
1. 2,192 Points - Donna
Hammond-Mares (1979-83)
2. 1,572 Points - Amy Houchens (1998-2002)
3. 1,303 Points - Julie Shaw (1998-2002)
4. 1,265 Points - Rachel Rosario (1989-93)
5. 1,081 Points - Beckey Geeson (1987-92)
6. 1,073 Points - Tawanna Terry (1993-96)
7. 1,041 Points - Crystal Harris (2000-Present)
8. 1,036 Points - Liz Lattimer (1981-85)
BOX
SCORE
After falling behind as
much as 22 points, the UC Riverside women’s basketball
team fought back in the second half cutting the deficit to
11, but could not sustain the momentum in Thursday’s
88-67 loss to UC Santa Barbara at the Student Recreation Center
in Big West action.
Trailing, 62-40, with 13:45 left in the game, the Highlanders
(4-13, 3-5 Big West) led a 17-6 run over the next 5:51 to
cut the Gauchos’ (13-5, 7-1 Big West) lead to 11, 68-57,
with just under six minutes left in the game.
Despite the surge, UCR could not stop the potent UCSB offense,
eventually falling to the Big West’s top team.
Junior guard Casandra Reeves had a game-high and season-best
30 points, marking the third time in her career she hit the
30-point mark. Senior Crystal Harris had 12 points, increasing
her career total to 1,053 points.
Forward Kristen Mann led the Gauchos with 21 points and also
had eight rebounds. Center Lindsay Taylor recorded the game’s
only double-double getting 15 points and snagging 10 rebounds.
Jenna Green also finished with 10 points.
The Highlanders continue their three-game home stand hosting
Cal Poly on Saturday, January 31 at 7:00 p.m. Senior Crystal
Harris will be recognized for reaching the 1,000-point mark
in her career prior to the start of Saturday’s game.
# # #
BOX
SCORE
(Jan. 31, 2004) -The UC
Riverside women’s basketball team gave visiting Cal
Poly its first road win of the season in Saturday’s,
85-72, loss at the Student Recreation Center in a Big West
Conference contest.
The Highlanders (4-14, 3-6 Big West) surrendered a school-record
15 three-point baskets to the Mustangs (9-9, 5-5 Big West)
who were perfect at home, but were winless on the road entering
the game.
Two players, UCR’s Crystal Harris and Cal Poly’s
Jennifer Dooley scored over 30 points in the game.
Harris, who was honored prior to the game for breaking the
1,000-point mark in her career, set a new personal-best with
32 points had the game’s only double-double with 10
rebounds. Dooley had an even 30 points, going 10-for-15 from
the field—all from beyond the arc.
The first half was a back-and-forth battle for the first 10
minutes until a 10-2 Cal Poly run gave the Mustangs a 10-point
lead, 33-23, with just under five minutes in the frame. The
mustangs took a 42-34 lead into the break.
The Mustangs would build up a 15-points lead, 57-42, five
minutes into the second half. UCR was able to cut to six,
59-53, at the 9:06 mark, but was unable to sustain its momentum.
The Highlanders close heir three-game home stand hosting Cal
State Fullerton in the lone game of the week on Saturday,
February 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Student Recreation Center.
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