Feb. 13, 2013
Anteaters 52 – Highlanders 48
The UC Riverside men’s basketball team went on a late rally but was unable to pull off the comeback at UC Irvine, losing 48-52.
The Highlanders were down by as many as 15 points. Within the six minute mark, Austin Quick connected on two threes to cut a 12 point deficit to six. Two free-throws from Chris Patton decreased the deficit to four points.
The Highlanders forced a turnover and Chris Harriel nailed a three-pointer to make it a 45-44 game. This was another close game where playmaking, defensive stops, taking care of possessions and making shots were crucial for Riverside.
Anteater Adam Folker made a jump shot and Daman Starring clinched the game with two free-throws to increase the lead to four within the closing seconds of the game. Harriel was the leading scorer for the Highlanders with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Michael Wilder lead the Anteaters with 17 points. Wilder’s outside shot was key in helping Irvine build on its big lead.
Alex Young for the Anteaters was another player who scored in double figures with 10 points. Both teams were great defensively and made each other’s offense struggle. Irvine shot 30 percent and the Highlanders shot 29.8 percent from the floor. Turnover rates were high for both team as UCR turned the ball over 15 times while UCI committed 11. The Highlanders have now lost another close game for their sixth loss in a row.
Feb. 16, 2013
49ers 75 – Highlanders 35
A 40-point blowout gave the UC Riverside men’s basketball team its seventh straight loss against Long Beach State, 75-35. It was a rough night for the Highlanders; they fought early and at one point were tied 12-12.
The Highlanders could not sustain the pace of the 49ers. Long Beach went on an 8-0 run to increase the lead 20-12. The 49ers then would take advantage of their athleticism to push the tempo of the game.
Kris Gullet’s three and Keala King’s layup increased their lead to 11 with the score 25-14. The 49ers outran the Highlanders to a 31-19 halftime lead. The second half was all Long Beach State as the 49ers outscored the Highlanders in the second half 44-16.
The Highlanders were not able to defend Long Beach State’s offense. On the other end, UCR could not make shots and turnovers gave the 49ers easy fast break points. Long Beach State connected on 52 percent of its field goals (27-51), 41 percent on 3-pointers (10-24) and 78% on free throws (11-14).
The Highlanders shot 23 percent (11-46) overall, 10 percent from three point range and made 12-23 free throws (52 percent). In addition to that, the Highlanders turned the ball over 18 times.
Taylor Johns was the only Highlander player that scored in double figures with 10 points. It was another bad night for the Highlanders as their record now stands at 5-20 overall and 2-11 in the Big West conference.
UC Riverside will look to break out of its seven-game losing streak on Wed. Feb. 20 against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at the Student Recreation Center.
