The UC Riverside women’s basketball team defeated Utah State 52-51 in a come from behind victory. Going into this ball game, the Highlanders won their first game of the season against Antelope Valley in a comfortable double-digit win and looked to carry that momentum against the Aggies. Things didn’t go as planned to start the game for UCR, but a second-half comeback helped propel them into a much needed win.
Both teams struggled to find their footing in the first quarter, as they combined for six turnovers within the first five minutes of the game. Senior guard Jordan Webster knocked down a jumper to give UC Riverside their first points of the game within the first two minutes of the game. The Highlanders took their first lead of the game, 5-4, off a second-chance 3-pointer from sophomore guard Zoe Tillery. After that 3-pointer, however, UCR went on a three-minute scoring drought that saw them lose the lead to Utah State. Junior center Esther Matarranz broke the scoring drought with a layup after an assist from redshirt senior forward Matehya Bryant. Still, by the end of the first quarter, the Highlanders saw themselves trailing 15-9.
Utah State capitalized on the stale offensive play from UC Riverside as they took an eight-point lead in the second quarter. After a block from forward Tiarra Hill-Brown, guard Skye Miller sunk in a jump shot to give the Aggies their biggest lead of the night, 19-11. The Highlanders wouldn’t give up, however, as they started to make a little comeback midway through the quarter. It started with Tillery dishing the ball to senior guard Julia Stenberg for a mid-range jumper to cut the lead to 19-13. After a missed shot from Utah State, Tillery found Bryant on the inside of the layup to bring the deficit within four points. After a couple of minutes, Bryant went one for two at the free throw line to bring the score to 19-16, capping off a 5-0 run for UCR. However, the Aggies ended the half strong as they dominated down the stretch to take a 26-18 lead at halftime.
Both teams started to trade buckets to start the third quarter as the offense started to pick up from both sides. For UC Riverside, Bryant started to impose her will on the inside as she scored four early second-half points. However, forward Bridget Mullings maintained the lead for Utah State as she continued to knock down timely shots every time UCR would get close. The Highlanders could not find an answer to get multiple defensive stops, as every time they scored, the Aggies would come down the court and get a score of their own. The duo of Webster and Bryant started to get going at the end of the quarter as they were able to bring UC Riverside back into the game. With time winding down, Matarranz was able to finish a layup to cut the deficit to two, 41-39, entering the fourth quarter.
The Highlanders were able to carry their momentum into the fourth quarter as Bryant sank in another jump shot to tie the game at 41-41. After a turnover from Utah State, Bryant was able to finish a putback layup to give UCR their first lead since the first quarter, 43-41. Bryant continued to take over in the fourth quarter as on the ensuing defensive possession, she came up with a steal and scored in another jumper to extend the Highlander lead to four points. Utah State was able to break their four-minute scoring drought with a layup to break the 7-0 UCR run, but Bryant was able to sink in another mid-range jump shot to push the lead back up to five points.
The resilience of the Aggies would continue to show as they were able to tie the game up at 50 with 1:18 left in the game. With 27 seconds left on the clock, forward Samiana Suguturaga was fouled by Stenberg, which she sunk in one of two free throws to give Utah State a 51-50 lead.
With time winding down, Webster came up clutch for the Highlanders as she got to her spot and knocked down the go-ahead jump shot to give UC Riverside the lead, 52-51, with six seconds left on the clock. Utah State had one more chance to win the game but Miller was unable to finish the game-winning layup and UC Riverside walked away with the victory 52-51.
Bryant led the way for the Highlanders as she filled up the stat sheet with 21 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, two steals and four blocks. Webster also contributed with 13 points and three rebounds.
The Highlanders improve their record to 2-3 on the season and will be on the road to face Merrimack College on Friday, Dec. 1, at 8 a.m.
