UC
Riverside's Casandra Reeves hit the game-winning basket with :37 seconds
remaning and scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Highlanders to a
67-63 victory over visiting Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night at the
Student Recreation Center.
The Titans fell to 5-14 overall, 5-5 in the Big West Conference, losing
their last two straight after winning three in a row. UC Riverside improved
to 4-14 overall, 3-6 in league play.
Fullerton had battled back from a nine-point deficit in the second half,
tying the score on a lay-up by junior Melanie Mosley with 1:52 to play.
Reeves mised a lay-up on UCR's next posession and Crystal Harris stole
the ball back for the Highlanders on the Titans' ensuing trip down court.
Reeves got the ball at the top of the key dribbled to the free throw line
extended and hit on an 8-foot jumper to give Riverside the 64-62 advantage.
Sophomore Amber Pruitt hit 1-of-2 from the line to bring the Titans to
within a point, and trailed by only two points with :17 remaining when
Holly Peterson missed 1-of-2 from the line. However, Cal State Fullerton
missed on two chances to tie things up, failing on back-to-back attempts
with :08 remaining.
Kirsten Muir hit two free throws with :02 left on the clock to ice the
victory.
Reeves' 26 points came on 9-of-24 shooting as she played all 40 minutes
of the game. Harris and Jodi Reber joined her in double figures with 13
and 10 points, respectively.
The Titans were led by Mosley's career-high 12 points and Amber Pruitt's
double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds). Senior Rochelle Ortega was also
in double figures with 10 points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks.
Cal State Fullerton's leading scorer, Tamara Quinn, was held without a
field goal attempt for all of the first half and the first 3:46 of the
second period. Her only two points came on free throws with 2:31 left
in the game and she finished 0-for-7 from the field.
The Titans return to action next weekend as they travel to local rivals
UC Irvine on Thursday (Feb. 12) and Long Beach State on Saturday (Feb.
14) trying to avenge earlier losses to those two teams.
