In last Thursday’s matchup against the University of California, Davis (UCD), the Highlanders won by two points, securing seventh place in the current conference standings. Coming off of an unexpected loss against California State University, Bakersfield, UC Riverside (UCR) needed to secure this home win to get their season back on track.
UCR head coach Brad Langston opted to start freshman Kaylani Polk for the first time this season. Both UCD and UCR began the game with high energy that continued through the duration of the game. From the tip-off, both teams had an aggressive back and forth, which ultimately led to a very close game.
“I love [Polk’s] energy, she’s been going really well in practice this week and definitely deserved that spot. I think she played a great game tonight,” shared guard Seneca Hackley, who dropped twenty points against UCD.
With UCD currently being one of the better teams in the Big West, UCR played hard for every point scored against the Aggies. The Highlanders definitely take their time when they are in possession, which is a large part of how they were able to close out such a close game.
Towards the end of the first half, UCD made an aggressive shot-making attempt, giving them the biggest lead of the game, with six points. At half-time, the score was 22-25. The Highlanders began the second half with high energy as they clawed into the UCD lead. After their non-conference games earlier in the season, the Highlanders have shown improvement in their teamwork and efficiency.
By the start of the fourth quarter, it is still unclear where the game will go. Both teams are fighting tooth and nail for every point, with Hackley and Hannah Wickstrom really shining in the fourth. After a few foul calls, Hackley used her two free throws to tie the game, 45-45. Hackley really shined in the last few minutes, scoring 9 of the final 12 points for UCR while consistently creating her own shot.
“We’re just competitive, you know we lost the last one at Davis. [We] didn’t play too great as a team and I just wanted to come out aggressive and my teammates wanted to win as well,” expressed Hackley. “Defense definitely translates to offense, so having that energy on [defense] and then being able to carry it over to offense was good tonight.”
Following this win against the Aggies, UCR was able to secure a consecutive win against UC Santa Barbara, 51-42. The Highlanders will be playing California State University, Long Beach on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. at Long Beach.
