Coming off the back of five straight wins, the Highlanders were looking to make it one more at home against the Tritons. Led by back-to-back Big West Player of the Week Jordan Webster, UCR’s offense was flying high. It seemed like the hot streak would continue against the jetlagged Tritons who were coming off their third straight loss at Hawaii.
UCSD head coach, Heidi VanDerveer, younger sister of the winningest coach in college basketball (Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer), showed faith in her younger players. She reinserted redshirt freshman guard Gracie Gallegos into the starting five. She also continued to trust freshman point guard Sumaya Sugapong to run the show. As many would have expected, the Tritons struggled to get out of the blocks quickly.
It was UCR’s slow start that was more surprising. Despite rolling out with their usual starting lineup, the Highlanders couldn’t find their offensive rhythm. Fortunately, their defense kept it close early. The Tritons looked to feed junior forward Damilola Sule inside. UCR did whatever they could to deny passes inside. Sophomore guard Makayla Jackson’s tight on-ball defense pestered Sugapong and gave the young freshman a hard time early on.
Both teams were forced into long possessions and contested shots. Over four minutes had passed without any scoring. Makayla Jackson drove to the hoop and finally scored the game’s first basket. Looking to up the tempo, the Highlanders equipped the full-court press as RyAnne Walters checked into the contest. The fifth-year guard’s swagger was on full display. Walters set up her teammates with smooth dribble moves and no-look passes.
Unlike the Walters substitution, the full-court press wasn’t nearly as effective. Sugapong’s playmaking often left the Highlanders scrambling on defense. Miscommunication also proved costly on a couple of occasions. In one of these moments, Sugapong was left wide open and drilled the game’s first 3-pointer. A last-second shot from junior Izzy Forsythe put the Tritons up 7-4 at the end of the first quarter.
UCR’s offensive struggles only worsened in the second quarter. While the Highlanders languished, UCSD were finding their feet thanks to their true freshman point guard. Her bounce pass set up senior Parker Montgomery wide-open under the basket. Then, Sugapong knocked down a transition jumper to cap off an 11-0 run for the Tritons.
Coming out of the timeout, the Highlanders needed senior guard Jordan Webster to get going. Every time Webster looked to drive to the rim, a help defender collapsed on her each time. With their star guard frustrated, UCR’s offense was stuck in the mud.
On the other end, Makayla Jackson was tasked with taking away UCSD’s best weapon. She looked to keep the ball away from Sugapong with her aggressive off-ball defense. After realizing Jackson’s intentions, Sugapong worked the backdoor cut to her advantage. UCSD found themselves ahead 18-7 thanks to poor first-half shooting by the Highlanders. As a team, UCR shot 3-27 from the field and missed all 7 of their 3-point attempts in the first half.
With the first half in their rearview mirror, the Highlanders looked like a completely different team in the third quarter. Webster and redshirt senior forward Matehya Bryant were particularly more aggressive. The pair of seniors relentlessly attacked the basket and were rewarded with an abundance of free throws. Slowly but surely the Highlanders pulled themselves back into the game.
After RyAnne Walters swished UCR’s first triple of the evening, she asked for a double screen on the very next possession. After, Parker Montgomery trips on the screeners. Walters drains a second straight 3-pointer to give her team a 30-29 lead. Having been quiet all evening, the SRC arena erupted as UCSD made adjustments.
Coming out of the timeout, coach VanDerveer switched from man-to-man defense to a 2-3 zone. UCR were unprepared and failed to find a soft spot in San Diego’s zone. The Highlanders were forced to settle with contested midrange jumpers at or near the end of the shot clock. After Sugapong snatched the ball from Webster, she utilized her quick first step to get a wide-open jumper. The San Diego native put the Tritons back in front 34-31 going into the fourth.
In the fourth quarter, UCSD stuck with what was working. Their 2-3 zone grinded the Highlanders to a halt. Nevertheless, UCR continued hustling on the glass. Fighting with the Tritons on the boards, Matehya Bryant lost her balance and was shaken up. With Bryant hobbling back, UCSD took advantage. They pushed the pace and found Sugapong wide-open. She drilled the triple and then another, silencing the crowd. After hitting the dagger, her scream of delight echoes throughout the arena.
With 22 points from Sumayah Sugapong, the Tritons would take this one 51-43. UCR’s winning streak ends and their record drops to 5-4 in conference play. The Highlanders will return to action next week on Feb. 3 at home against Cal State Northridge at 6:00 p.m.
