With the Big West Tournament on the horizon, each and every game becomes a must-win. While the University of California, Riverside (UCR) had secured their spot in the postseason, California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) was still fighting for their playoff lives. The Titans were also saying goodbye to their seniors which added an extra layer of emotion to this ball game. Despite their 6-12 conference record, the Titans surely wouldn’t make this game easy for the Highlanders.
Following their flat performance in their loss against Hawaii, the Highlanders needed to get back on track offensively on the road against CSUF. After shooting just 3-12 from the field against the Rainbow Wahine, the Titans dared redshirt senior Matehya Bryant to shoot from midrange. However, Bryant would make them pay for their lack of respect with two early buckets.
Similar to Bryant, senior guard Jordan Webster was also coming off a poor shooting performance against Hawaii. Using off-ball screens from Bryant and senior Julia Stenberg to create space, Webster quickly shook off the rust and drained three straight 3-pointers. As the Highlanders jumped out to an early lead, it was encouraging to see the UCR offense back in sync.
While the Highlanders were rolling, the Titans were looking to work the ball inside to senior center Ashlee Lewis. Playing her last game in front of the CSUF crowd, Lewis was determined to go out with a win. Using her overwhelming strength and size, Lewis can bully her way to easy baskets inside. Coach Brad Langston tasked Bryant with disrupting the star center. Bryant worked hard to keep Lewis from getting the ball. She put herself in the passing lanes to make it difficult for the CSUF guards to get Lewis the rock.
As well as being a pest on defense, Bryant also found herself as a facilitator on offense. She kept the ball moving by giving out handoffs and even assisted sophomore guard Jordyn Marshall for a 3-pointer. However, simple mistakes allowed the Titans to creep back into the game. On the next possession, Bryant gave up a fast-break layup after her pass was picked off by senior guard Gabi Vidmar. Then, Marshall and fifth-year guard RyAnne Walters weren’t on the same page on the inbound.
Fortunately for the Highlanders, a triple from sophomore guard Zoe Tillery put an end to CSUF’s scoring run. With UCR’s lead cut to just six points, the Highlanders transitioned into their zone defense with a full-court press. The Titans struggled to adapt quickly as Bryant and Webster each snagged a pair of steals. Sophomore guard Makayla Jackson joined the party and completed a 3-point play after stealing the inbound pass. As time expired, Marshall used the textbook pick-and-roll to set up Bryant for the open midrange. She drilled the jumper and gave UCR a 37-27 lead going into halftime.
Stenberg opened the scoring for the Highlanders in the second half with a 3-pointer. Vidmar failed to respond with her own 3-point attempt, but senior guard Fujika Nimmo drilled the stepback jumper to keep the Titans within distance. As the Highlanders used smaller lineups to accommodate their full-court press, Lewis and junior forward Aixchel Hernandez used their size to get second-chance opportunities.
Despite possessing a size disadvantage, the Highlanders were fighting for their own second-chance points. As the youngest member of the starting rotation, Jackson displayed the fearlessness that is well-respected by her teammates. The sophomore guard kept flying in for offensive rebounds and made up for her lack of size with a lot of hustle. The rest of the Highlanders fed off of Jackson’s energy. Marshall and Bryant connected for yet another basket. Later, Bryant assisted Webster on the fastbreak. Webster’s bucket gave UCR a 52-40 lead going into the 4th quarter.
Looking to give the Highlanders a taste of their own medicine, CSUF started using their own full-court press. But it was UCR who kept forcing turnovers. Walters and Tillery each showed off their quick hands as the duo swiped steals on back-to-back possessions. A corner 3-pointer from Webster would eventually ice the game. The Highlanders bounced back and claimed a 65-50 win over the Titans.
Bryant and Webster led the way in scoring with 18 and 16 points respectively, but it was an incredible team performance that truly made the difference. It’s a huge win for the Highlanders as they look to pick up momentum heading into the Big West Tournament.
On Saturday, the Highlanders capped off the Big West regular season by hosting the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) on senior night. Coach Langston started an all-senior lineup as UCR defeated the Gauchos 53-46 on home court. After dropping their first three conference games, the Highlanders rebounded to finish with a 13-7 record. They enter the Big West tournament as the No. 3 seed and will face the winner of No. 6 UCSB and No. 7 Long Beach State on Mar. 14.
