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UCR Women’s Basketball Signs Aikaterini Glyniadaki To National Letter of Intent

(May 10, 2006) - The UC Riverside women’s basketball team completed its signings for the 2006-07 season by inking junior college transfer Aikaterini “Kat” Glyniadaki to a National Letter of Intent, Head Coach John Margaritis announced Wednesday. Glyniadaki will join early signees Jessie Schmuckal and Brittany Waddell as the Highlanders’ incoming class next year.

Glyniadaki is a 6-5 center from Chania on the island of Crete in Greece. A 2004 graduate of the Second High School of Andiliosia in Athens, she played on the Greek Junior National Team from 2000-2004. She spent last year at Okaloosa Walton Junior College in Niceville, Florida, shooting 52% from the floor and averaging 5.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for the Raiders. She had a season high of 16 points and five blocked shots against St. Petersburg College on November 4, 2005.

“We are excited to have a student-athlete joining us of Aikaterini’s caliber,” Margartis said. “We are looking forward to having her low-post presence improve our team offensively and defensively. She culminates a very diverse and competitive recruiting class.”

Glyniadaki will add an inside presence to a Highlander team that had no player stand taller than 6-2 last season. UCR has 10 players returning in 2006-07 from a team that went 16-15 and made school history by making the NCAA Tournament for the first time at the Division I level. As the third youngest team in the nation, UCR became the lowest seeded team to ever win the Big West Conference Tournament and posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1995-96.

UCR Women’s Basketball Picked First By Coaches, Second By Media in Preseason Polls, Nkele Earns Preseason All-Conference Spot

(Oct. 25, 2006) - On the heels of its NCAA Tournament berth in 2006, the UC Riverside women’s basketball team has been selected to finish first in the Big West Conference Coaches Poll, it was announced Wednesday at the annual media day in Irvine. The media in attendance voted the Highlanders second while selecting junior forward/center Kemie Nkele to the preseason all-conference.

With all five starters and 10 letterwinners returning from last season’s Big West Tournament Champion squad, the Highlanders topped their last season’s best of fourth in the preseason polls by gaining the most first-place votes. In the coaches poll, UCR gained five of the eight first place votes and 47 total points. Regular season co-champions UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State were second and third, respectively, UCSB with 43 points and three first place votes and Long Beach State with 33 points, Cal State Northridge was fourth with 29 points, UC Irvine fifth (23). Cal State Fullerton (22 points), Cal Poly (20), and Pacific (7) rounded out the coaches poll.

UCR and UC Santa Barbara switched spots in the media poll, although the Highlanders gained seven first-place votes to the Gauchos’ four. UCSB garnered 93 total points, one more than Riverside. Long Beach State was again third with 83 points and received three first-place votes. Cal State Northridge was fourth on 69 points with Cal Poly (53), Cal State Fullerton (42), UC Irvine (40), and Pacific (32) completing the voting.

Nkele (San Diego, CA/Mira Mesa HS) continues to accumulate awards from the Big West Conference, earning a spot on the preseason all-conference team for the second straight season. A two-time member of the All-Big West First Team, Nkele was the 2006 Big West Tournament Most Valuable Player as well as the winner of the conference’s “Hustle Award”. As a freshman, she was voted the Big West Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-1 forward/center led the Highlanders with 15.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and a conference-high 1.7 blocks per game in 2005-06.

Nkele was joined on the Preseason All-Big West list by Karina Figueroa of Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara’s Jenna Green, Jessica Eggleston of Cal Poly, Angie Ned of UC Irvine, and Ofa Tulikihihifo of Cal State Northridge.

UC Riverside went 16-15 last season for its second consecutive winning season under Head Coach John Margaritis. The Highlanders finished in a four-way tie for third in the Big West with a 7-7 record but won their final six regular season games before tacking on three more at the conference tournament to claim their first-ever Big West Tournament title and the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Coaches Poll

Media Poll

Highlanders Lose to Oklahoma State, 77-47

(Nov. 10, 2006) - UC Riverside opened the 2006-07 season with a 77-47 loss at Oklahoma State in front of an OSU record 7,160 fans Friday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Highlanders fall to 0-1 on the season while the Cowgirls improve to 1-0.

In the first-ever meeting between the two squads, OSU snapped a 17-game losing streak and never trailed in the contest. The Highlanders, who return all five starters from last season’s NCAA Tournament team, shot just 34 percent (20-of-59) from the field and turned the ball over 22 times.

Sophomore forward Ronéy Friend and junior forward/center Kemie Nkele paced the UC Riverside scoring attack with 14 points apiece but no other UCR player had more than five points. Nkele added a team-high nine rebounds.

OSU’s Maria Cordero led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting and also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. Joining Cordero as double-figure scorers for the Cowgirls were Rashidat Sadiq, who scored 12 of her 17 points in the opening half and also had seven rebounds in the contest, and Dominique Chism, who poured in 11 points.

The Cowgirls connected on 47 percent of their shots from the field (26-of-55) and outrebounded UC Riverside by a 45-30 margin. OSU also controlled the free throw line, sinking 21-of-30 (70.0%) while the Highlanders went to the charity stripe just eight times, hitting four at a 50% clip.

OSU jumped out to a 10-2 lead on a layup by Cordero at the 15:35 mark, and the Cowgirls remained in control to take a 32-22 advantage into the halftime locker room.

OSU continued to build its lead in the second half, with a three pointer by Sadiq giving the Cowgirls a 17-point cushion at the 11:01 mark. The Highlanders cut it to 40-28 but would not get closer than 13 the rest of the way as OSU stretched its lead.

Highlander Rally Falls Short vs. Toreros, 68-53

(Nov. 14, 2006) - UC Riverside dropped its second straight game, 68-53 at the University of San Diego Tuesday night at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego. The Highlanders fall to 0-2 on the season while the Toreros improve to 2-0.

After dropping its season opener last Friday at Oklahoma State, the Highlanders struggled at the beginning, trailing by as many as 19 in the first half and by 17 at halftime. UCR rallied in the second half, getting within four with under four minutes left but ultimately fell short as USD sank five free throws down the stretch to pull away.

Sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo led UCR with 16 points, including 4-for-6 from three-point range, and five rebounds. Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele added 15 points and five rebounds while sophomore forward Ronéy Friend had nine points, five rebounds, and four assists.

USD shot 49.0% (25-for-51) from the floor and outrebounded UCR 39-29. The Highlanders finished the game shooting 36.2% (21-for-58) and were 8-for-16 (50.0%) from three-point range.

Coming off an 18-point victory at Cal State Northridge on Friday, USD started strong, hitting seven of its first nine shots to take a 15-4 lead into the first media timeout. UCR worked to find its rhythm, with sophomore guard Chanel Foster gaining two quick baskets and a three-pointer by Gbewonyo cut the Torero lead to 23-13 with 9:50 left in the first.

The torrid Toreros stayed hot, shooting 56.0% (14-for-25) for the first period and controlling the boards, 21-10, for a 36-19 halftime lead. Amber Sprague keyed the Toreros' first half offensive outburst, hitting seven of her 11 attempts for 16 points before the break. The Highlanders, on the other hand, were 9-for-28 from the floor (32.1%) in the first half.

After starting the game 2-for-8, Nkele hit back-to-back three-pointers to bring UCR back within 10, 40-30, with 15:29 remaining. Sprague picked up her fourth foul at the 11:12 mark with USD leading 48-36. From that point on, UCR went on a 9-2 run, with another three-pointer by Gbewonyo cutting it to five, 50-45, with 9:14 left. The Highlanders got within four, 55-51, before a lay-up by Sabine Loewe pushed the Torero advantage back to six with 3:29 to go. UCR got open looks on its next possessions but couldn't convert as they made just one basket in the final 6:40.

USD halted the Highlander comeback with 1:20 left and when USD's Kiva Herman missed the front end of a bonus foul shot. The ball fell to Sprague, who layed the ball in to give the Toreros a 61-51 lead.

For the second straight game, free throws were a big factor as USD shot 15-for-21 (71.4%) from the line while UCR attempted just four foul shots, making three (75.0%). It took until 12:22 remaining in the second half, however, for the Highlanders to attempt their first free throw.

Sprague led all scorers with 22 points and added eight rebounds. Amanda Rego had nine points, 11 assists, and six rebounds while Loewe had 12 points. Morgan Henderson chipped in 11 points and eight rebounds, with Kelly Winther adding 11 points.

Highlander Rally Comes Up Short vs. #20 UCLA

(Nov. 18, 2006) - UC Riverside's upset bid of #20 UCLA fell short, 70-60, in front of a school-record crowd of 808 Saturday night at the UCR Student Recreation Center. The Highlanders drop to 0-3, while the Bruins improve to 2-1.

Sophomore forward Amber Cox had 13 points and seven rebounds to lead the Highlanders while sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo added 12 points and five boards. Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele chipped in with nine points, five rebounds, and three blocks before fouling out with 12 minutes to play.

The Highlanders' home opener was delayed 30 minutes when UCLA's bus was stuck in traffic but once it got underway, UCR came out determined to post its first-ever victory over a ranked team. UCR jumped out to an 8-5 lead by the 14:49 mark with Nkele scoring four of the points. UCLA countered with an 11-0 run over the next five minutes for a 16-8 advantage before the Highlanders clawed back in to 23-17 but the Bruins closed out the half on a 9-1 spurt to take a 32-18 lead into the locker room.

After shooting just 25.0% (8-for-32) from the floor in the first half, including 1-for-10 (10%) from three-point range, the Highlanders got the crowd back into it, opening the second half on a 23-9 run to tie the game at 41-all on a three-pointer by Gbewonyo with 10:59 left. Three-point shooting was the key to the Highlanders’ run, as UCR made nine of its first 14 shots after halftime.

Nkele picked up her fifth foul at the 12:17 mark and UCLA ran its lead back out to four points before a three-pointer by Cox pulled UCR back within one, 45-44, with 9:25 remaining. Cox herself fouled out with 7:45 left and, from that point on, however, the Highlanders had no answer inside for the Bruins, who increased their lead to as many as 13 before UCR cut it to eight, 63-55, with 1:48 left. Free throws down the stretch hurt the Highlanders, who missed the front end of three bonus foul shots and were just 6-for-14 (42.9%) from the line for the game.

The Highlanders shot 53.3% (16-for-30) from the floor in the second half to finish the game at 38.7% (24-for-62), They hit half of their ten three-point attempts in the second half and were 6-for-20 (30.0%) from beyond the arc overall. UCR forced the Bruins into 26 turnovers, which led to 20 points. UCR committed 17 turnovers, leading to 12 UCLA points.

Noelle Quinn had a game-high 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting and sank a perfect 6-for-6 from the line. Quinn also pulled down nine rebounds and dished five assists. Amanda Livingston added 15 points and 10 rebounds while Lindsey Pluimer had 14 points for the Bruins. UCLA shot 51.1% (24-for-47) from the floor and 19-for-27 (70.4%) from the line while holding a 43-28 rebounding advantage.

This was the first meeting between the teams at the Division I level and the first overall since 1975.

Balanced Highlanders Defeat Bulldogs 65-53

(Nov. 21, 2006) - Four players scored in double figures as UC Riverside snapped a three-game losing streak with a 65-53 victory over Butler University in the semifinals of the Great Alaska Shootout Tuesday night at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, AK. The Highlanders improve to 1-3 on the season, while the Bulldogs fall to 1-2.

Freshman guard Brittany Waddell came off the bench for a career-high 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including four three-pointers, to pace the Highlander attack. Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele and sophomore forwards Ronéy Friend and Amber Cox each had 12 points as UCR shot 46.2% (24-for-52) from the floor and 55.6% (5-for-9) from three-point range while holding Butler to just 35.2% (19-for-54) from the field and 33.3% (7-for-21) from downtown. Sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo chipped in nine points and a team-high seven rebounds while Friend added six rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

Early on, UCR was as cold as the Anchorage winter, missing its first five shots. The Bulldogs helped out the Highlanders by turning the ball over four times early and led 7-4 before UCR went on a 12-2 run to go ahead 16-9 with 8:18 remaining. Butler stormed back with a 7-0 spurt to tie the game at 16 but a layup by Friend ended that run and gave the lead back to the Highlanders.

Nkele picked up her third foul and went to the bench with 4:30 remaining in the first half but UCR managed to keep its lead, with a three-pointer by Waddell giving the Highlanders a 30-24 halftime advantage. UCR shot 48.1% (13-for-27) from the floor in the first 20 minutes to post its highest scoring first half of the season. The Bulldogs were 9-for-23 (39.1%) from the field in the first period and committed 11 turnovers to UCR's eight.

UCR reached its largest lead to that point, 34-25, straight out of the gates in the second half. Butler responded with 13-2 run as a three-pointer by Ellen Hamilton tied it at 37-all with 13:30 left. Gbewonyo halted the run with a steal, going coast-to-coast for the layup.

Waddell continued her hot outside shooting, finding gaps in the BU zone to knock down her fourth trey of the game, putting UCR up 53-45 with 6:40 to go. Jackie Closser answered with a three of her own to keep Butler within five. A follow by Gbewonyo of her own missed shot, a long Waddell jumper as the shot clock wound down, and a steal and layup by Cox increased UCR's lead back to 59-50 at the 2:45 mark. Gbewonyo then got loose under the basket off a feed from Cox as UCR went up 11, 61-50, with under two minutes left.

Butler tried to rally but the Highlanders stayed steady from the line, sinking four foul shots down the stretch. After entering the game shooting 50% from the stripe on the season, UCR was a perfect 12-for-12 for the game.

Hamilton led all scorers with 17 points, including five three-pointers. Closser added 13 points in the first-ever meeting between the Bulldogs and Highlanders.

Highlanders Fall in Shootout Final, 72-67

(Nov. 22, 2006) - University of Alaska Anchorage held off UC Riverside 72-67 in the championship game of the Great Alaska Shootout Tuesday night at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, AK. The Highlanders fall to 1-4 on the season, while the Seawolves improve to 4-0.

In the first meeting between the schools since 1995, UAA took a 11-point halftime lead, only for UCR to cut it to one down the stretch. Seawolf offensive rebounds and free throw shooting proved the difference, however, as UAA improved to 7-1 all-time against the Highlanders.

Maria Nilsson scored 17 first half points, including 5-for-5 from three-point range, to stake the hosts to a 36-25 halftime lead. UAA maintained an eight point cushion for most of the second half until back-to-back three-pointers by junior guard Vanessa Campillo and a pair of free throws from sophomore center Tainoisouti Lott made it 58-54 to UAA with 4:53 remaining. After getting a stop, a three from sophomore forward Amber Cox and another foul shot from Lott made it a one-point game.

The teams traded baskets and UCR got a big stop when Lott took a charge from UAA's Jayci Stone that waved off a Seawolf hoop.

Jennifer Salazer hit a runner in the lane to put UAA up 65-62 with 1:14 left. UCR came down and Cox had an open look from the top of the key but it rimmed out and the Highlanders fouled on the rebound. Nilsson went to the line and made both free throws to give the home team a five-point lead.

Two more free throws from Lott made it 67-64 with 23.6 left. After a Seawolf timeout, Tristan Burnett made one of two free throws but tournament MVP Rebecca Kielpinski got the offensive rebound and was fouled. She knocked down both free throws and Lott got loose under the basket for a layup. UCR pressed and got a steal with 4.2 seconds left. Cox was fouled but had to leave injured. Freshman guard/forward Jessie Schmuckal stepped off the bench but missed the front end of a double bonus. After sinking the second, UCR fouled Limor Pelleg, who made both free throws for the final margin.

For the second straight game, UCR put four players in double figures. Campillo came off the bench had a team-high 14 points, hitting 4-of-7 from three-point range. Cox added 13 points, six assists, five rebounds, and two steals while sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo had 11 ponits and eight rebounds. Lott contributed 10 points, six from the free throw line. Cox and Gbewonyo were named to the All-Tournament team.

UCR shot 36.1% (22-for-61) from the floor for the game and 9-for-17 (52.9%) from three-point range but was just 14-for-22 (63.6%) from the free throw line. The Seawolves shot 39.6% (21-for-53) from the floor and knocked down 21-for-33 (63.6%) of their free throws while outrebounding UCR 43-35.

Nilsson finished with a game-high 22 points on 6-for-7 shooting from downtown. Kielpinski chipped in a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds while blocking three shots.

A three-pointer from Gbewonyo and jumper by sophomore forward Ronéy Friend gave UCR an early 5-0 lead but the Seawolves came back with three consecutive three-pointers from Nilsson to go ahead 9-5 with 15:15 left in the first. UCR responded with an 10-3 run to regain the lead, 15-12.

UCR then went cold, making just one shot over the next 8:38 as UAA took its largest lead, 28-20, with 3:05 left. A jumper by Cox and three-pointer by junior guard Vanessa Campillo cut the lead to 28-25 with 1:35 remaining. Nilsson then hit back-to-back three-pointers, including one at the buzzer, as UAA went into the locker room with a 36-25 advantage.

The Seawolves took advantage of Nilsson's five first-half three-pointers and 17 points, shooting 41.2% (7-for-17) from long-range in the first half. UAA was just 11-for-31 (35.5%) from the floor overall, compared to UCR's 9-for-30 (30.0%).

Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele never managed to get things going, missing all five of her first half shots and fouling out with 8:46 to go with eight points and six rebounds.

Highlanders Hand Badgers First Loss, 52-50

(Nov. 28, 2006) - Junior forward Kemie Nkele knocked down two free throws with 7.2 seconds remaining as UC Riverside defeated the University of Wisconsin 52-50 in front of 278 fans Tuesday night at the Student Recreation Center. The Highlanders improve to 2-4 on the season and hand the Badgers their first loss to drop them to 6-1.

UCR trailed by four with less than two minutes left but the Highlanders stepped up the defense to rally for the tie. With 3:12 remaining, Danielle Ward rattled in a jumper in the lane to put UW ahead 50-44. Sophomore guard Chanel Foster then made two free throws and two successive Highlander stops led to a pair of fast-break layups by sophomore forward Ronéy Friend as UCR tied the game at 50 with 1:47 remaining.

With just over a minute left, Foster missed a driving layup but sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo came up with the rebound to give the Highlanders a fresh shot clock. After a UCR timeout with 47 seconds left, the Highlanders went inside to Nkele but her turnaround jumper rimmed out. Wisconsin got the rebound and called timeout. Jolene Anderson dribbled the clock down to 10 seconds before her running jumper came up short. Foster came away with the rebound and Wisconsin fouled Nkele with 7.2 seconds left as she set a screen.

Wisconsin called timeout but that did not rattle Nkele as she calmly sank both ends of a double bonus to stake the Highlanders to a two-point lead.. Wisconsin inbounded the ball against UCR pressure but could not get off a shot as time expired.

Friend finished with a game-high 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the floor. Nkele added 13 points, seven rebounds, four steals, and three blocks while Gbewonyo chipped in 12 points.

UCR shot 38.0% (19-for-50) from the floor and overcame 20 turnovers. Wisconsin was 20-for-56 (35.7%) from the field while committing 21 turnovers. The Badgers held a 41-30 rebounding advantage.

Ward recorded a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Badgers. Caitlin Gibson had eight points and six rebounds with Mariah Dunham also finishing with eight points.

The first half featured four lead changes and three ties. The Highlanders got off to a fast start, forcing the Badgers into seven turnovers in the first six minutes in jumping out to a 10-4 lead. The Badgers responded by going inside, using their size to run off an 18-5 run over the next four minutes to go ahead 22-15 with 7:08 left. A three-pointer by freshman guard Brittany Waddell and pair of free throws from Friend cut it to 22-20 before a jumper in the lane by Nkele tied it up with under six minutes left in the half.

With the score knotted at 24-all, Wisconsin's Janese Banks was whistled for a technical foul. Friend knocked down the ensuing free throws and Nkele followed with a jumper to put the hosts back ahead, 28-25. But Rae Lin D'Alie answered with a three-pointer to draw the teams level once again at 28 and the score stayed that way as the teams went into halftime.

UCR shot 37.0% (10-for-27) from the floor in the first half while the Badgers were 11-for-27 (40.7%). Both teams were careless with the ball, as the Highlanders turned it over 14 times to UW's 13.

The Highlanders missed their first four shots of the second half as the Badgers grew their lead to 34-28 but a layup by Gbewonyo and a three-pointer from Nkele reduced it to a one-point game. Wisconsin increased its lead back to six, 42-36, but again the Highlanders replied. A layup by Friend and a steal and coast-to-coast from Foster made it 42-40 with 8:12 left. A minute later, Foster drove the lane and layed it in to tie the game at 42.

UCR took its first lead of the second half at 44-42 when sophomore forward Tainoisouti Lott grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in with 6:42 to go. Wisconsin came right back with a three-pointer from Anderson to regain the lead. After a free throw, Anderson pulled up on the break for a jumper to put UW ahead by four and set up UCR's final comeback.

This was the first ever meeting between UCR and a Big Ten school.

Strong Second Half Lifts Auburn over UCR in Reno

(Dec. 2, 2006) - Auburn University used a strong second half push to defeat UC Riverside 51-43 Saturday afternoon at the John Ascuaga's Nugget Classic at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, NV. The Highlanders fall to 2-5 on the season and the Tigers improve to 7-2.

Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele led all scorers with 19 points while sophomore forward/center Tainoisouti Lott chipped in 10 points and four rebounds off the bench. Nkele also had five rebounds and blocked three shots. Sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo added eight points and a season-high nine rebounds but was just 3-for-10 from the floor.

Auburn was coming off a tournament-opening 84-75 win over the University of Nevada and looking to claim the classic title but missed its first six shots and started 1-for-9 as UCR took an early 9-2 lead. Despite the Tigers' height advantage, the Highlanders went inside, gaining 10 points in the paint to increase its lead to 16-6 with 10:27 left. A three-pointer by Nkele then made it 19-8 at 7:19.

The Tigers pulled back by switching to a halfcourt press that forced UCR into three successive turnovers as Auburn went on a 7-0 run to cut it to 19-17 3:47 to go. Nkele's three at 7:19 was UCR's last basket of the half, as the Highlanders missed their last 10 shots but still went into the locker room with a 21-19 advantage.

After starting 4-for-9, UCR finished the half shooting 25.9% (7-for-21), including 18.2% (2-for-11) from three-point range. On the other side, the Highlander defense held Auburn to 23.1% (6-for-26) from the field and 16.7% (1-for-6) from long range.

Auburn opened the second half on an 18-4 run as UCR again went over eight minutes without a bucket. Auburn took its first lead of the game, 24-23, on a free throw by Whitney Boddie with 17:30 remaining. The Tigers took advantage of six Highlander turnovers in the opening nine minutes to increase that lead to 37-25 with 10:52 to go.

A three-pointer by Nkele at 9:25 broke UCR's drought and again brought it to a single-digit game, 37-28. The Auburn lead hovered around double digits until Gbewonyo's three-point play with 6:07 left made it an eight-point game. The Tigers answered back with a three-point play by Trevesha Jackson that pushed the lead back to 11 at the 4:10 mark. UCR would get no closer than eight the rest of the way.

UCR shot 16-for-57 (28.1%) from the floor, and just 23.8% (5-for-21) from three-point range while Auburn was 17-for-53 (32.1%) overall and 1-for-6 from three-point range. The Tigers held a 16-6 advantage from the free throw line and a 45-33 rebounding edge, including 26-12 in the second half.

Three Tigers reached double figures, led by DeWanna Bonner's 12 points and nine rebounds. Jackson added 11 points while Tamela McCorvey chipped in 10.

UCR is making is second preseason tournament in as many weeks after placing second at the Great Alaska Shootout Nov. 21-22. The Highlanders face Nevada in the tournament finale Sunday at 3 p.m.

Nkele's Buzzer-Beater Lifts UCR over Nevada, 73-70

(Dec. 3, 2006) - Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele hit a 22-footer at the buzzer to lift UC Riverside to a 73-70 come-from-behind victory over the University of Nevada Sunday afternoon in the finale of the John Ascuaga's Nugget Classic at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, NV. The Highlanders finish second in the tournament and improve to 3-5 on the season while dropping the Wolfpack to 4-3.

UCR scored on 14 of its final 17 possessions of the game to rally from a 14-point halftime deficit. Nkele scored 18 of her game-high 26 points after halftime, tying it at 68 with 1:40 left. Brandi Fitzgerald answered by knocking down a jumper to give the lead back to Nevada. UCR then turned the ball over but stepped up the defense to force a shot-clock violation. Sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo single-handedly broke Nevada's press, going coast-to-coast to lay the ball in with :23.1 seconds left and tie it at 70.

UCR called timeout and Nevada ran the clock down but Delenna Criner threw the ball away with 3.1 seconds left. Out of timeouts, the Highlanders inbounded to Nkele, who dribbled the length of the floor and pulled up from 22 feet. Her third three-pointer of the game swished through as the buzzer sounded to give UCR the win.

The Highlanders shot 63.6% (21-for-33) in the second half to finish at 50.9% (29-for-57) overall. UCR was also 6-for-12 (50.0%) from three-point range and 9-for-10 (90.0%) from the free throw line. The Highlanders held a 34-28 rebounding advantage, the first time all season that they had outrebounded an opponent.

Nkele finished 11-for-14 from the floor, missing just one shot in the second half as she posted her 19th career 20-point effort and the first for the Highlanders this season. She added six rebounds and four blocked shots and currently sits on 995 career points, 10th on the UCR all-time list.

Gbewonyo added a season-high 17 points, along with seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Freshman guard Brittany Waddell came off the bench for nine points and four rebounds while sophomore forward/center Tainoisouti Lott added six points and a game-high nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Chanel Foster also had nine points.

Nevada shot 43.9% (25-for-57) in the game but just 4-for-16 (25.0%) from three-point range. The Wolfpack knocked down 16 of their 18 free throws (88.9%) and forced 23 turnovers while committing 18. Nevada was led by Fitzgerald, who had 20 points and eight rebounds. Criner added 19 points and Traci Graham contributed 12.

Both teams were coming off of losses to tournament champions Auburn University and started strong, looking for the second place finish. Nevada jumped out to a 12-7 lead but a three-pointer and layup from Gbewonyo tied it at 12 with 14:35 left. UCR made five of its first eight shots while Nevada hit six of its first 12.

With Nevada pressing, sophomore forward Ronéy Friend went over the top for a layup to give UCR its first lead at 16-14 with 11:40 remaining in the first. The Wolfpack answered with an 8-0 run with a three-pointer by Fitzgerald and three-point play by Criner giving them a 22-16 advantage. Nkele halted the run with a three-pointer but turned her ankle on the next defensive possession and went to the bench with UCR trailing 22-19.

With Nkele out, Nevada turned on the pressure and rattled off a 15-3 run as UCR committed 15 first-half turnovers. Seven straight points from Waddell brought UCR back but Mikail Price banked in a 17-footer at the buzzer to send the hosts into the locker room with a 41-27 lead.

UCR shot just 33.3% (8-for-24) from the floor in the first half but were 4-for-7 (57.1%) from three-point range. Nevada shot 45.5% (15-for-33) overall and was 3-for-9 (33.3%) from long range.

UCR opened the second half on a 13-5 run with a driving layup by Friend making it 45-38. The Highlanders then turned up the pressure and Nkele got open inside for a pair of baskets to reduce the lead to 55-49 with 10:42 to go. UCR continued to penetrate for layups, with a drive by Foster with 6:45 remaining cutting it to 62-60. Nkele then drop-stepped for a layup to tie the game yet again and set up the frantic finish.

Nkele's Heroics Earn Her Big West Co-Player of the Week Award

(Dec. 4, 2006) - For the school record fifth time, UC Riverside junior forward/center Kemie Nkele has been named the Big West Conference Player of the Week, sharing the award for November 27-December 3 with Pacific’s Karen Dawkins, the conference office announced Monday. Nkele is the first Highlander women’s basketball player to earn the award this season.

The 6-1 Nkele (San Diego, CA/Mira Mesa HS) averaged 19.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting a blistering 56.4% (22-for-39) from the floor and 53.8% (7-for-13) from three-point range to lead UCR to a 2-1 record last week. On Wednesday at home, she registered 13 points, seven rebounds, and five steals, sinking the game-winning free throws with 7.2 seconds left as the Highlanders handed Wisconsin its first loss of the season, 52-50. Over the weekend at the Nugget Classic in Reno, NV, Nkele scored 19 points and blocked three shots in Saturday’s 51-43 loss to Auburn. She saved her best performance for last, however, pouring in a UCR season-high 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting, grabbing six rebounds, and blocking four shots in a 73-70 victory over Nevada. In that game, the Highlanders trailed by 14 points but Nkele scored 18 points in the second half, shooting 8-for-9 from the floor and hitting the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to lift UCR to second place in the tournament. It was Nkele’s 19th career 20-point game and garnered her a place on the all-tournament team.

Nkele’s big week also put her in line for several UCR milestones. In the game against Auburn, she moved into the UCR career top-10 in points scored, where she currently sits on 995 points. She is five points away from becoming the 10th member of UCR’s 1,000-point club and the 88th player in Big West Conference history to reach that plateau. Nkele also moved into fourth place on the Highlanders’ career defensive rebounding list (384) and is in eighth place on the total rebounds chart (560). Nkele also extended her school record of 150 blocked shots.

On the year, Nkele is averaging 14.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, and 2.0 bpg, all team-highs. She leads the Big West in blocks, is tied for second in three-point percentage (50.0%), third in free throw percentage (81.8%), fourth in minutes played (32.12 per game), and seventh in field goal percentage (43.0%). Her 2.0 blocks per game ranks 43rd in the nation.

Nkele earned the Player of the Week award a school-record three times last year and once as a freshman. Her five career POW awards is tied for eighth all-time in the conference.

UCR (3-5) closes out its early non-conference home schedule with a pair of games this week against 2006 postseason participants. On Wednesday at 7 p.m., the Highlanders host Pepperdine University, who won the West Coast Conference Tournament last season and progressed to the NCAA Tournament. On Sunday at 5 p.m., UCR welcomes Drake University, who appeared in the WNIT last year.

Nkele Reaches 1,000 Career Points in UCR Win

(Dec. 6, 2006) - Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele became the 10th UC Riverside player to score 1,000 career points, scoring 24 points as the Highlanders defeated Pepperdine University 65-51 Wednesday night at the Student Recreation Center. The Highlanders win their second straight game to improve to 4-5 on the season while the Waves fall to 6-4.

Nkele finished just shy of a double-double, ending with 24 points and nine rebounds. She added five assists and two blocked shots. The Highlanders also got 10 points, eight rebounds, and four assists from sophomore forward Ronéy Friend and a career-high 10 points from sophomore center Katerina Glyniadaki to post their first win over Pepperdine since 1985.

Nkele entered the game needing five points to reach the 1,000-point mark and wasted no time in getting there, scoring UCR's first five points as they jumped out to a 5-2 lead. Nkele opened the game by knocked down three free throws, then got loose on an inbounds play under the basket to lay the ball in at 16:18. UCR was in the bonus within the first six minutes of the game but could not take advantage, making just three of their eight free-throw attempts.

The first half featured five ties and eight lead changes but the Highlanders finished the half on a 13-6 run to lead 33-29 at halftime. Nkele had 13 points and six rebounds by halftime as UCR shot 50.0% (14-for-28) in the first half. The Highlanders dominated the boards, outrebounding the Waves 24-7, including 12 offensive rebounds, but committed nine turnovers. Pepperdine shot 39.1% (9-for-23) in the opening 20 minutes.

The Highlanders came out strong defensively in the second half, holding Pepperdine to 24.2% shooting. UCR lead 43-37 with 13:23 left but a pair of layups by Friend and a blocked shot and layup by sophomore forward/center Tainoisouti Lott pushed the Highlander advantage into double digits, 50-39, with 11:01 left. A three-pointer from Pepperdine's Shannon Johnson and free throws by Daphanie Kennedy made it a five-point game, 52-47.

A jumper by Jessica Ross brought Pepperdine back to 58-51 with 6:10 left but that would be the last offense the Waves would get as UCR closed out the game with a 7-0 run.

UCR finished the game shooting 49.1% (27-for-55) from the floor to overcome a miserable night from behind the arc and at the free throw line. The Highlanders were 4-of-15 (26.7%) from three-point range and 7-for-15 (46.7%) from the line. Pepperdine shot 30.1% (17-for-56) from the floor, 40.0% (6-for-15) from three-point range, and 84.6% (11-for-13) from the charity stripe.

Playing without their interior duo of Teiosha George and Teena Wickett, Pepperdine was no match for UCR on the boards or in the paint. The Highlanders outrebounded the Waves 44-28 and had 34 points in the paint to PU's eight. Pepperdine was led by Kennedy's 14 points and eight rebounds while Ross chipped in 11 points.

The night belonged to Nkele, however, who became the 10th Highlander to reach the 1,000-point plateau and the third to do exclusively at the Division I level. Nkele attained the feat in 61 career games, the second-fastest in school history behind all-time leading scorer Donna Hammond-Mares, who got to 1,000 in 49 games en route to 2,192 career points. Nkele is the 89th player in Big West Conference history to reach 1,000 points and the third among active players.

The Highlanders close out their preseason non-conference home schedule on Sunday when they host Drake University at 5 p.m.

UCR Wins Third Straight, Beats Drake 52-39

(Dec. 10, 2006) - UC Riverside won its third game in a row, beating Drake University 52-39 Sunday evening at the Student Recreation Center. The Highlanders improve to 5-5 on the season while the Bulldogs drop their third straight game to fall to 4-3.

Sophomore forward/center Tainoisouti Lott had a career-high 18 points and added seven rebounds while junior forward/center Kemie Nkele posted UCR's first double-double of the season and the 25th of her career with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots.

UCR used a strong second half showing on defense, holding Drake to 19 points and 23.8% (5-for-21) shooting. For the game, the Bulldogs shot 13-for-45 (28.9%) and were 1-for-9 (11.1%) from three-point range. The Highlanders shot 43.4% (23-for-53) for the game despite another poor night from the line and from long range. UCR made two of its 11 three-point attempts (18.2%) and was 4-for-10 (40.0%) from the line.

The Highlanders controlled the paint, outscoring Drake 24-12. The teams were even with 34 rebounds apiece and UCR committed 22 turnovers to the Bulldogs' 23.

Drake was led by Moniqué Jones' 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Brandy Dahir added eight points, seven rebounds and three steals.

Drake scored the game's first seven points before UCR got on the board. Both teams were sloppy early, combining for 11 turnovers in the first eight minutes. The Highlanders missed seven of their first nine shots and trailed 11-4 before sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo hit a three-pointer at the shot clock buzzer and was fouled, completing the rare four-point play to bring UCR back to 11-8 with 10:15 remaining in the first.

That play seemed to settle down UCR and jump-started a 17-3 run that gave the hosts a 21-14 lead with 6:47 left in the first. Jumpers by sophomore forward Ronéy Friend and Nkele tied it at 14-all with 8:12 left and Nkele then converted inside at 7:31 to hand the home side its first lead of the game. Gbewonyo followed with her second three-pointer to extend the advantage to 19-14 and Gbewonyo fed Lott on the fast break to complete the run. UCR held on to its lead to go into the half ahead 25-20.

UCR shot 42.3% (11-for-26) in the first half but was 2-for-7 (28.6%) from three-point range and 1-for-3 (33.3%) from the free throw line. The Highlanders held Drake to 33.3% (8-for-24) from the floor and 1-for-6 (16.7%) from downtown. Both teams committed 13 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.

In a switch from the first half, UCR opened the second half on a 10-2 run, with all the points coming in the paint, to go up 35-22. Everything seemed to be going right for the Highlanders as Nkele later banked in an off-balance 18-footer as the shot clock expired to keep UCR's lead in double digits. The Highlander advantage got up to as many as 18, 47-29, with 8:30 left.

Drake hung tough and caught a break when Foster and Nkele both fouled out within the space of three seconds and UCR up 47-33 with 4:12 remaining. With Nkele out of the game, Lott stepped up, scoring grabbing an offensive rebound with a put-back to quell a Drake run and put the game out of reach. Lott was 6-for-7 in the second half, scoring 14 points.

This was the second-ever meeting between the schools and UCR evened the series after Drake's 69-51 win in Des Moines, IA, last December.

Nkele's Second Straight Double-Double Lifts UCR Over Utah Valley State

(Dec. 18, 2006) - UC Riverside posted its fourth consecutive victory, beating Utah Valley State College 70-69 on Monday afternoon at the McKay Center in Orem, UT. The Highlanders improve to 6-5 while handing the Wolverines their second straight loss to fall to 9-3.

In a tightly contested game that featured nine ties and 11 lead changes, UCR held UVSC to just one basket over a stretch of 10:03 in the second half, taking a 68-61 lead with 2:56 remaining on a three-pointer by sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo. Robyn Fairbanks carried Utah Valley State’s comeback, scoring six straight points to draw the hosts within one. After junior forward Kemie Nkele scored on a putback for a three-point advantage with 53 ticks left, Fairbanks knocked down two free throws to make it 70-69. UCR went to Gbewonyo, who missed a jumper with 15 seconds left, with Fairbanks grabbing the rebound and calling timeout. The Wolverines wound down the clock but Asumi Nakayama’s shot rimmed out as time expired.

Nkele registered her second straight double-double and 26th of her career, leading the Highlanders with 23 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocked shots. Sophomore forward Ronéy Friend added a season-high 17 points and Gbewonyo contributed eight points, five rebounds, five assists, and two blocks as UCR got points from every player who saw the floor.

UCR shot 43.9% (29-for-66) from the floor and was 7-for-22 (31.8%) from three-point range to overcome an afternoon in which it was outscored 21-5 from the free throw line. The Highlanders were 5-for-8 (62.5%) from the line, compared to 21-for-26 (80.8%) for UVSC. The Highlanders also held the Wolverines to 38.9% (23-for-59) from the floor, the third straight opponent that UCR had kept under 40% shooting.

Fairbanks finished with a game-high 34 points on 13-for-24 shooting. She also pulled down six rebounds. Sandy Marvin added 15 points while Rebekah Peterson had eight points, five rebounds, and five assists.

Utah Valley State scored the game’s first four points but UCR roared back as Friend scored six straight points as part of an 8-0 Highlander run that made it 8-4. UCR held a 16-8 lead with 12:27 left in the first half but the Wolverines stormed back with a 15-6 run for a 23-22 advantage. The teams battled back and forth until UVSC finished the half on a 9-3 run for a 39-34 halftime lead.

The Highlanders improved to 2-0 all-time against UVSC and gained their sixth non-conference regular season victory of the year, tying the program’s Division I mark.

BYU Snaps UCR Streak at Four, 66-57

(Dec. 20, 2006) - BYU halted UC Riverside's winning streak at four with a 66-57 victory Wednesday night at the Marriott Center in Provo, UT. With the loss, the Highlanders fall to 6-6 while the Cougars improve to 9-3.

UCR got a career-high 22 points from sophomore forward/center Tainoisouti Lott but that was not enough to overcome BYU's career night from Dani Wright, who scored a game-high 27 points as BYU never trailed to improve to 2-0 all-time against the Highlanders.

The Highlanders used sharp outside shooting early to counter the Cougars' inside game as BYU and scored ten points in the paint to take a 10-7 lead. Sophomore forward Ronéy Friend hit back-to-back shots as UCR was able to pull within one at 14-13 with nine minutes to go in the first half but the Cougars took the control of the game back as Melinda Johnsen dished the ball to an open Wright under the hoop for an open layup.

UCR would not back down and a shoot-out ensued as the teams traded lay-ups and three-pointers to take the game to a 24-20 BYU lead. With 4:47 to go in the first half, the Highlanders had a chance to tie the game at 24, but were denied. BYU took advantage at the opposite end of the court as Mallary Gillespie kickstarted a 9-0 Cougar run with a three-point play as the home side ran out to its biggest lead of the half at 33-22.

UCR shot 38.5% (10-for-26) in the opening 20 minutes and controlled the boards with 20 rebounds (10 offensive) to BYU's 15. Even so, the Cougars held a 36-26 lead at the break thanks to 55.6% (15-for-27) shooting.

The Cougars continued to control the paint in the second half, outrebounding UCR 19-10 in the period for a 34-30 overall advantage. BYU also outscored UCR 38-14 in the paint as the Highlanders had no answer for Wright inside. Wright scored the first six points for the Cougars in the second half to put BYU ahead by 12, 42-30.

UCR refused to go away and with 12:35 to go, freshman guard Brittany Waddell hit her third three-pointer of the game to cut the Cougar lead to seven at 44-37. Gillespie came back and hit a jumper to again as BYU would eventually push the lead back to 11.

BYU continued to parry UCR's rallies as sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo knocked down a three, reducing the Cougar lead to eight with eight minutes left. BYU answered through Wright, who took the lead back to fourteen. UCR got no closer than nine the rest of the way.

Lott topped her previous career high of 18 points by hitting seven of 14 from the floor in 31 minutes. She was also a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Friend was the only other Highlander in double figures with 10 points while Waddell and junior forward/center Kemie Nkele each had nine points.

Wright’s 27 points came on 11-15 shooting, 1-1 from downtown and a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. She also had six rebounds. Gillespie and Lauren Riley also scored in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

UCR shot just 27.6% (8-for-29) in the second half en route to 32.7% (18-for-55) for the game. The Highlanders were 5-of-14 (35.7%) from three-point range and went to the line 16 times, sinking 13 at an 80.0% clip. BYU never let up from the floor, finishing at 52.1% (25-for-48) despite connecting on four of its 14 three-point attempts (28.6%). The Cougars were 12-for-16 (75.0%) from the free throw line.

UCR returns home next week to open up its Big West Conference campaign against a pair of teams whose season the Highlanders ended in last year's conference tournament.

UCR Wins Third Straight Over UCSB, 70-57

(Dec. 28, 2006) - Four players scored in double figures as UC Riverside won its Big West Conference opener 70-57 over defending champions UC Santa Barbara in front of 408 fans Thursday night at the UCR Student Recreation Center. The Highlanders improve to 7-6 overall, 1-0 Big West, while the Gauchos drop to 4-7 overall, 0-1 Big West.

Facing off on the court for the first time since UCR beat UCSB 59-58 for the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament berth, the Highlanders displayed a solid team effort on both offense and defense. Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele had game-highs of 21 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocked shots. Nkele’s effort moved her into seventh place on the UCR career scoring charts at 1,086. Sophomore forward Ronéy Friend had an outstanding all-around game, finishing just shy of a triple-double with 15 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Sophomore center Katerina Glyniadaki was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor for 12 points, six rebounds, and three blocks and freshman guard Brittany Waddell chipped in 14 points and five rebounds.

UCR topped 50% from the floor for the second time this season, shooting 52.4% (22-for-42) overall and 33.3% (3-for-9) from three-point range. After making just two of its eight first half free throws, the Highlanders knocked down 21-of-27 in the second half to hold off the Gauchos. UCR shot a season-high 35 free throws, making 23 for 65.7%. The Highlanders also tied their season high for rebounds, grabbing 44 to the Gauchos’ 34.

The Highlanders used stifling defense to win their third straight over the Gauchos. UCSB shot just 27.9% (19-for-68) for the game, including 3-for-20 (15.0%) from three-point range. UCR forced 13 turnovers and blocked 10 Gaucho shots. UCSB was led by Jenna Green’s 13 points while Jessica Wilson added 11 points and seven rebounds and Chisa Ononiwu contributed 10 points.

UCR started strong, going inside to Glyniadaki for consecutive baskets to take a 6-4 lead. The teams traded buckets and were tied at 12 until UCR rattled off a 10-2 run, highlighted by a pair of three-pointers from Waddell en route to a 22-14 lead with 6:10 left. With Green on the bench with three fouls, the Gauchos cut the deficit to 24-22 on a steal and layin by Ononiwu. Nkele got loose inside for a layup and Waddell knocked down another three just before the half as UCR went into the locker room leading 29-22.

UCR shot a blistering 66.7% (12-for-18) from the field in the first half but was undone by 17 turnovers and shot 25.0% (2-for-8) from the free throw line. UCSB was 7-for-29 (24.1%) from the floor and missed all five of its three-point attempts but hung tough by sinking 8-of-12 (66.7%) from the line.

The Highlanders opened the second half on an 11-4 run to extend their lead to 16, 42-26, with 10:49 left. Green picked up her fourth foul on a three-point play by Nkele with 17:19 remaining in the game that put UCR up 34-26. After that, UCR went inside, continually lobbing to Glyniadaki as the Gauchos had no answer for the 6-5 Greek.

UCSB chipped away with a 7-2 run to cut it to 44-35 and Jordan Franey knocked down a three-pointer, the Gauchos’ first of the game, with 4:54 left to make it a seven-point game, 50-43. Despite four Highlanders playing with four fouls, that would be as close as UCSB would get as Friend made two free throws and Nkele broke the Gaucho spirits, grabbing an offensive rebound and hit a turn-around 17-footer as the shot clock wound down to lift the Highlander lead back up to double-digits. Friend made four more free throws and Waddell sank five as the Highlanders pulled away.

After nine straight losses to UCSB at the Division I level, UCR has won the last three meetings against the Gauchos. It was UCSB’s first loss in a Big West opener since 1994-95 while the Highlanders improve to 3-3 in conference openers.

Highlanders Improve to 2-0 in Big West, 75-65 over Cal Poly

(Dec. 30, 2006) - UC Riverside won its second straight game, defeating Cal Poly 75-65 in a Big West Conference game Saturday evening at the UCR Student Recreation Center. The Highlanders improve to 8-6 overall, 2-0 Big West, while the Mustangs fall to 4-9 overall, 0-2 Big West.

Junior guard Vanessa Campillo scored a career-high 21 points on five three-pointers and sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo added her second career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Ronéy Friend added 12 points and junior forward/center Kemie Nkele had nine points, six rebounds, five assists, and three blocked shots.

Cal Poly was led by Jessica Eggleston's 14 points and seven rebounds. Bria Fields had 11 points, Megan Harrison notched 10 points and seven rebounds, and Lisa McBride had 10 points for the Mustangs.

UCR did not trail the entire first half but Cal Poly opened the second half on a 6-1 run with a three-pointer by Lisa McBride giving the visitors their first lead of the night, 37-36. Campillo answered right back with a three-pointer of her own to restore UCR's advantage. After a three-point play by Brittany Asplund made it 44-42, Campillo got hot, hitting back-to-back three-pointers that put UCR up 50-42 with 14:17 left. Campillo then received a friendly bounce on a trey from the corner, her fifth of the game, that gave the Highlanders an eight-point cushion, 55-47, at 10:59.

UCR took its largest lead of the game, 62-51, on a steal and layup by Friend with just over seven minutes left. The Highlanders began to pull away as Cal Poly went three minutes without a basket until Fields' layup made it 68-55, with 4:56 remaining. Eggleston converted a three-point play to make it a 10-point game with under four minutes left but Cal Poly would not get within eight the rest of the way.

The Highlanders finished the game shooting 34.5% (20-for-58) from the floor and attempted a season-high 27 three-pointers, sinking eight (29.6%). For the second straight game, they set a season-high for free throws attempted and made, going 27-for-36 (75.0%) from the free throw line. Cal Poly shot 31.3% (21-for-57) from the floor and 3-for-12 (25.0%) from three-point range. The Mustangs were 20-for-28 (71.4%) from the line and held a 45-38 rebounding advantage.

Gbewonyo hit a three on the game's first possession as UCR jumped out on top 5-0 and went ahead 15-6 on Gbewonyo's second three-pointer. The Mustangs answered with a 5-0 run through Bria Fields and a three-point play from Megan Harrison. UCR looked for holes in the Poly zone, using a combination of inside and outside, with a layup from Glyniadaki putting the Highlanders back up by nine, 23-14, with 9:52 left.

With UCR leading, 33-25, and 2:56 to go, Cal Poly went on a 6-0 run to cut it to 33-31. A jumper by Friend rattled home just before halftime to send the Highlanders into the locker room leading 35-31. It was the most points in the first half for UCR this season.

UCR shot 34.4% (11-for-32) in the first half and got a little trigger-happy from long range against the Mustang zone, attempting 16 treys and hitting three (18.8%). Cal Poly shot 31.3% (10-for-32) in the opening 20 minutes and was 1-for-5 (20.0%) from downtown. Both teams were 10-for-13 (76.9%) from the line.

The Highlanders are 2-0 in conference play for the second time in their six-year Big West history, having opened at 8-0 in 2001-02.

Friend Named Big West co-Player of the Week

(Jan. 2, 2007) - UC Riverside sophomore forward Ronéy Friend has been named the Big West Conference co-Player of the Week for December 24-January 1, the conference office announced Tuesday. This is Friend’s first career Player of the Week honor and she is the second Highlander women’s basketball player to earn the award this season, following junior forward/center Kemie Nkele for November 27-December 3. She shares this week’s honor with Cal State Northridge’s LaJoyce King,

The 6-1 Friend (Los Angeles, CA/Bishop Montgomery HS) helped UCR jump out to a 2-0 start in Big West play for the first time since 2001-02, scoring in double figures in both of the team’s wins. For the week, Friend averaged 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 53.8% from the floor and 86.7% from the free throw line.

In Thursday’s conference opening 70-57 victory over UC Santa Barbara, Friend barely missed the program’s first-ever triple-double, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists as UCR handed the Gauchos their first loss in a conference opener since 1994-95. She then tallied her fourth consecutive double-digit scoring outing with 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists in a 75-65 win against Cal Poly on Saturday despite having to leave the game in the first half with an eye injury. Friend has scored in double figures in eight games overall, including five of the last six.

For the year, Friend is second on the Highlanders in scoring at 9.9 points per game. She is second in blocked shots with 14, second in steals with 16, and third in rebounding at 5.1 rpg.

Highlanders Move to 3-0 With 58-50 Win at Pacific

(Jan. 4, 2007) - UC Riverside survived its first Big West Conference road test, beating University of the Pacific 58-50 Thursday night at the Alex G. Spanos Center in Stockton, CA. The Highlanders win their third straight to move to 9-6 overall, 3-0 Big West, while the Tigers drop to 6-9 overall, 0-2 Big West.

Sophomore forward/center Tainoisouti Lott came off the bench for a game-high 20 points and junior forward/center Kemie Nkele added 18 points, including two big three-pointers down the stretch as the Highlanders won their fifth in a row over the Tigers. Lott shot 9-for-11 from the floor and pulled down seven boards while sophomore forward Ronéy Friend contributed seven points, eight rebounds, and four assists.

A tight second half saw the Highlanders leading by three, 47-44, with 2:42 remaining but Nkele stepped up with her first three-pointer of the game to extend the cushion to six. After a layup by Jerise Freeman cut it to four, Nkele found Lott underneath for a layup to restore the six-point advantage. Freeman was fouled on the next possession and made one of two from the free throw line. Nkele then dealt the final blow, hitting another trey from the left side to make it an eight-point game, 55-47, with 1:13 to go. Nkele added two free throws with 33 seconds left to hold off the Tiger rally.

UCR shot 66.7% (12-for-18) in the second half to finish at 51.2% (22-for-43) overall, the second time in three games that they had topped 50% from the floor. The Highlanders also made 4-of-14 (28.6%) from three-point range and 10-of-18 (55.6%) from the line.

Freeman recorded her first career double-double with 11 ponts and 12 rebounds to lead the Tigers. Emma Head and Whitney Price each had eight points. UOP shot 16-for-60 (26.7%) from the floor and 7-for-23 (30.4%) from three-point range. They went 11-for-18 (61.1%) from the line and outrebounded UCR 44-30, including 20 offensive rebounds.

Pacific started strong, scoring the game's first six points and holding a 13-5 lead at the 10:35 mark as UCR missed nine of its first 10 shots. The Highlanders turned it around quickly, getting five straight points from Nkele, two from Lott, and a layup from sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo to go on a 9-0 run and grab a 14-13 lead. UCR held UOP to just one field goal over an eight-minute stretch and extended the advantage to 24-16 before the Tigers rallied to trail 26-24 at the half.

Nkele and Lott dominated the second half as Pacific's post players, Karen Dawkins and Price, battled foul trouble. The Highlander duo combined for 24 of UCR's 32 second half points as the visitors outscored the hosts 30-16 in the paint.

Matadors Hand UCR First Big West Loss, 69-60

(Jan. 6, 2007) - UC Riverside suffered its first defeat of the Big West Conference season, falling 69-60 at Cal State Northridge Saturday afternoon at the Matadome in Northridge, CA. The Highlanders drop to to 9-7 overall, 3-1 Big West, while the Matadors improve to 5-10 overall, 2-1 Big West.

In a matchup between the Big West's top-scoring team in CSUN (69.4 ppg) and its best defensive team in UCR (allowing 60.5 ppg), free throws proved the difference as Northridge went 18-for-25 (72.0%) from the charity stripe compared to the Highlanders' 4-for-9 (44.4%). The Matadors made just three baskets over the final 11 minutes of the game but converted 13 free throws over that span to keep UCR at bay.

Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele tallied her third double-double of the season with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five assists, three blocks, and three steals. Freshman guard Brittany Waddell had 12 points, all on second-half three-pointers. Sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo added 11 points and sophomore forward Ronéy Friend contributed six points and eight rebounds.

LaJoyce King led the Matadors with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Ofa Tulikihihifo chipped in 13 points and eight boards and Jamie McCaa had 12 points, including seven down the stretch.

UCR was 24-for-63 (38.1%) from the floor overall and 8-for-23 (34.8%) from three-point range, including 6-of-12 in the second half. CSUN shot 41.1% (23-for-56) from the field and 45.5% (5-for-11) from downtown. The Matadors held a 41-38 rebounding advantage.

Due to difficulties with the Northridge scoreboard and clock, UCR opened the game with a pair of technical free throws but Friend could not take advantage, missing both. No matter, as the Highlanders went inside to sophomore center Katerina Glyniadaki for a layup for the game's first two points. The contest was then delayed again as the back-up shot clock malfunctioned at 19:38, causing the time to be kept by hand at the scorer's table for the entire first half.

Despit all the glitches, Gbewonyo hit a three and followed with a layup to give UCR a 13-9 lead but CSUN came back with a 9-0 run to go up 18-13. Sophomore forward/center Tainoisouti Lott stopped the slide with a jumper inside that cut it to three, 18-15, with 9:42 left. Northridge continued to pull away, though, converting on five straight possessions with a three-pointer by Krisztina Fuleki putting the hosts up 10, 30-20, with 5:13 remaining in the first. Gbewonyo's jumper at 3:02 was the last UCR basket of the half as the Matadors went into halftime with a 37-22 lead. The 15-point deficit was the second-largest for the Highlanders at the half this season.

UCR shot 33.3% (10-for-30) from the floor in the first half and 18.2% (2-for-11) from three-point range. Friend's free throws before the tip were the team's only attempts from the line in the opening 20 minutes. Northridge was 15-for-32 (46.9%) in the first half, including 50.0% (3-for-6) from three-point range. They were 4-for-5 (80.0%) from the line.

The Matadors maintained a double digit lead until a long three from Nkele cut it to 63-54 with 3:21 to go. Free throws pushed the CSUN lead back above ten until Waddell's fourth three-pointer made it an eight-point Matador lead. At the other end, McCaa hit a straight-away three for a 68-57 advantage to ice it. UCR got stops on the next two possessions but CSUN grabbed offensive rebounds on each to kill more time off the clock.

Highlanders Sign Alyssa Morris, Stacie Whitley to NLI

(Jan. 10, 2007) - The UC Riverside women’s basketball team has signed two players to National Letters of Intent for the 2007-08 season, head coach John Margaritis announced Wednesday.

“We are very excited to have Alyssa Morris and Stacie Whitley join our basketball family,” Margaritis said. “They are talented players and wonderful young ladies.”

Morris, a 5-10 guard from Edison High School in Fresno, is averaging 15.6 points per game this year to go along with 10.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists for the Tigers. Earlier in the season, she posted a triple-double with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists against Redwood High School. As a junior, she was named First Team All-Metro League and all-county as Edison went 31-3. Morris led the Metro League in scoring at 12.9 ppg and three-pointers made with 44. She was also second in steals and assists.

Whitley, a 5-10 guard from Camarillo High School, averaged 12.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 2.8 apg last season. She was named to the First Team All-Pacific View League and was second team all-county.

“Alyssa and Stacie will bring height, speed, and very good perimeter skills to our backcourt,” Margaritis noted. “They can both play the point guard position and handle the ball exceptionally well. They are also tall enough to compete against small forwards. Having them on our roster will definitely make us a better team.”

Double-Doubles Lift UCR Over Titans, 64-48

(Jan. 13, 2007) - UC Riverside snapped a two-game losing streak to Cal State Fullerton with a 64-48 victory in a Big West Conference contest Saturday afternoon at the Student Recreation Center. The Highlanders reach double-digit victories for the third consecutive season to improve to 10-7 overall, 4-1 Big West, while the Titans fall to 7-11 overall, 2-3 Big West.

Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele and sophomore forward/center Tainoisouti Lott each had double-doubles to become the first Highlander teammates to register double-doubles in the same game since UCR had three at UC Irvine on January 19, 2006. Nkele had a game-high 19 points and added 11 rebounds for her 29th career double-double and sixth of the season. Lott has 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting and also pulled down 11 rebounds for her third career double-double. Freshman guard Brittany Waddell chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds, both career-highs.

The performances by Lott and Nkele helped UCR dominate on the boards and in the paint as the Highlanders outrebounded the Titans 43-28. UCR also outscored Fullerton 22-8 in the paint while holding a 12-8 advantage in second chance points.

Fullerton was led by Charlee Underwood's 16 points, six rebounds, and four steals and Toni Thomas added 15 points and seven boards.

UCR started hot, exploiting its height advantage to go inside. The Highlanders made six of their first 10 shots to take a 13-4 lead while the Titans missed six of their first seven. CSUF answered through Undewood, who hit back-to-back treys as the visitors pulled back to 19-16 with 7:20 to go in the first. The Highlanders rattled off an 18-4 run to end the half, with a drive and layup from Lott just before the buzzer giving UCR a 37-20 lead at the break.

The Highlanders dominated the boards in the first half, grabbing 24 to Fullerton's 11 and turning it into 16 second chance points. Lott and Nkele were strong inside, combining for 24 of the 37 points. UCR shot 53.3% (16-for-30) overall in the first half, including 75.0% (3-for-4) from three-point range, and made 2-of-5 (40.0%) from the line. Cal State Fullerton shot 32.0% (8-for-25) from the floor and just 2-for-10 (20.0%) from long distance. They were 2-for-6 (33.3%) at the line.

UCR's lead got as big as 18 to start the second half but then Fullerton started chipping away, getting as close as 10, 42-32, on a layup by Allison Bennett with 13:45. That would be it, though, as UCR held a steady double-digit advantage for the entire second half. A three-pointer by Nkele with 47 seconds left gave the Highlanders their largest advantage of 21.

The Highlanders finished the game shooting 48.0% (24-for-50) overall and 46.2% (6-for-13) from three-point range. They were 10-for-13 (76.9%) from the free throw line, including a perfect 8-for-8 in the second half. CSUF shot 31.6% (18-for-57) overall and 22.7% (5-for-22) from three-point range. They made 53.8% (7-for-13) from the line and committed 15 turnovers to UCR's 23.

Highlanders Down Anteaters 69-52

(Jan. 18, 2007) - UC Riverside won its seventh straight home game, defeating UC Irvine 69-52 in a Big West Conference game in front of a school-record crowd of 855 on Thursday night at the Student Recreation Center. The Highlanders improve to 11-7 overall, 5-1 Big West, while the Anteaters fall to 5-14 overall, 2-3 Big West.

Three Highlanders scored in double figures, led by sophomore forward/center Tainoisouti Lott's game-high 17 points. Lott pulled down 10 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double. Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele added 14 points, nine rebounds, and four blocked shots and sophomore forward Ronéy Friend chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo had a well-rounded game of seven points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

UCR took advantage of the smaller Anteaters, controlling the paint and the boards. The Highlanders outscored UCI 30-12 in the paint and pulled down a season-high 47 rebounds to 28 by the visitors. UCR shot 47.1% (24-for-51) from the floor and 36.4% (4-for-11) from three-point range while making 17-of-19 (89.5%) from the line.

Miranda Forry led UCI with 15 points and Annie Mai contributed 13 points. Stephanie Duda grabbed 10 rebounds to go along with six points. UCR's Big West-leading team defense limited UCI to 28.6% (18-for-63) from the floor and 26.7% (4-for-15) from downtown. The Anteaters made 70.6% (12-for-17) of their free throws.

The taller Highlanders went inside early, using their sizable height advantage to make five of their first seven shots and take a 12-7 lead within the first five minutes. A three-pointer by junior guard Vanessa Campillo as the shot clock expired made it 15-9 and a lob and layup by Friend increased the UCR advantage to 17-9 with 13:08 remaining in the first. Nkele picked up her second foul on a charge at 12:13 but Lott took over, getting open inside for a layup and then drawing a charge.

UCI forced three consecutive turnovers to pull back to 19-13 but then went cold, missing its next six shots. A three-point play by Gbewonyo capped a 10-0 run that gave UCR a 29-13 advantage with 4:43 left until a three-pointer by Haley Tull snapped the UCI drought.

UCR went into halftime with a 35-24 lead after shooting 46.2% (12-for-26) from the floor in the first half. They were 2-for-7 (28.6%) from three-point range and 9-for-11 (81.8%) from the line. The Highlanders held a commanding 29-12 rebounding advantage thanks to UCI shooting 26.5% (9-for-34) overall and 22.2% (2-for-9) from long range while hitting four of their six (66.7%) free throws attempts. UCR's first half rebounding total was better than their total for three entire games this year.

The Highlanders were sloppy to start the second half, committing five turnovers as the Anteaters cut the UCR lead to eight, 44-36, on a pair of free throws by Mai with 10:12 left. A foul shot by Duda made it a seven-point game before two free throws from Friend and a jumper by Nkele pushed the Highlanders back ahead by double digits.

After Nkele picked up her fourth foul, Campillo knocked down another three to put UCR up 53-39. Lott then grabbed an offensive rebound and layed it back up before completing a three-point play for a 58-41 lead with 5:11 to go. The Anteaters would get no closer than 14 points the rest of the way.

The crowd of 855 topped UCR's previous women's basketball record of 808 fans set earlier this season when the Highlanders hosted UCLA on November 18, 2006.

Another Record Crowd Turns Out for 58-43 Win Over LBSU

(Jan. 20, 2007) - Four players scored in double figures as UC Riverside won its eighth straight home game and set another new home attendance record in a 58-43 Big West Conference victory Saturday afternoon at the Student Recreation Center. The Highlanders finish the first round of conference play at 12-7 overall, 6-1 in the Big West while the 49ers drop to 4-16, 1-5.

Junior forward/center Kemie Nkele registered her 30th career double-double with game-highs of 15 points and 10 rebounds while also blocking four shots. Sophomore forward/center Tainoisouti Lott had 12 points and seven rebounds while sophomore guard Seyram Gbewonyo and sophomore forward Ronéy Friend each had 11 points.

UCR used a 13-0 run midway through the second half to pull away from the 49ers. A jumper by LBSU’s Kaiti O’Brien tied it at 35 with 13:26 left in the game but that would be the last 49er basket for awhile as the Highlanders held them scoreless for the next 8:31. Four different players scored during the run, with Nkele contributing five of the points.

Long Beach State had one last spurt left in them, cutting it to 48-39 with 3:45 remaining on a jumper by Brett Timmons. The next time down the floor, Nkele missed a three-pointer as the shot clock expired by Lott was there to grab the offensive rebound and lay it back in with a foul. She completed the three-point play to give the Highlanders a 51-39 lead at the 3:00 mark and the UCR advantage never dipped that low again.

Karina Figueroa led the 49ers with 12 points, all in the first half, but was 4-for-25 from the floor. Tyresha Calhoun added 10 points and five assists. Timmons and O’Brien each had eight points.

UCR shot 42.6% (23-for-54) from the floor overall, including 50% (13-for-26) in the first half. For the game, the Highlanders were 23.1% (3-for-13) from three-point range and outscored LBSU 34-16 in the paint. They were 9-for-12 (75.0%) at the free-throw line and held a 42-35 rebounding advantage.