Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta
Depleted Highlanders Can't Hold On As UC Santa Barbara Wins, 60-52
2/11/2012 4:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Santa Barbara—The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team had UC Santa Barbara on the ropes Saturday night at the Thunderdome, leading by as many as 11 in the second half, but the undermanned Highlanders couldn't quite hold on as the Gauchos came away with a 60-52 victory.
The Highlanders (11-14, 5-7) were severely depleted in the post as Kevin Bradshaw missed the game due to the death of his grandfather, and David Chavarria sat out the game with a leg injury. They lost the services of BJ Shearry with 5:27 to go in the first as he went down hard after leaping for a rebound off an errant Gauchos shot, and TJ Burke and Elliott Berry both fouled out of the game in the second period forcing UCR to play a five-guard lineup.
Still, the Highlanders were able to rely on their trademark defense as they forced the Gauchos (13-8, 8-3) to miss 22 of their 29 shots in the first half including all nine from three-point range.
UC Riverside scored 10 if the first 14 points before hitting a dry spell of their own which allowed UCSB to tie the game at 13 with 7:47 to go in the period. After trading baskets, the Highlanders went on an 11-1 run to go up 26-16 with 3:33 on the clock.
A 7-0 UC Santa Barbara run, punctuated by a James Nunnally alley-oop dunk, brought the Gauchos to within three, but the Highlanders scored the final four points of the period to take a 30-23 lead into the locker room.
The Gauchos stayed in the game by getting to the free throw line making nine of 15 from the charity stripe compared to five of eight for UCR in the first 20 minutes of action.
A pair of Berry free throws early in the second period put the Highlanders up 11, 34-23, but the Gauchos scored the next seven points to cut the UCR advantage to four. During that stretch, Burke was whistled for his fourth personal foul sending him to the bench further dwindling the Highlanders post options.
A few minutes later, an Alan Williams jumper cut the UCR advantage to one, and on the Highlanders next possession, Burke, who had just re-entered the game, picked up his fifth foul battling for a rebound. James Nunnally drained a three on the Gauchos next turn on offense putting UCSB up by two, 42-40.
Berry's jumper tied the game at 42, but Orlando Johnson scored the next four points of the game to give the Gauchos their largest lead of the night, 46-42, with 5:38 on the clock. Jamie Serna shot a pair of free throws for UCSB the next trip down the floor to go up six.
Phil Martin ended the drought with a driving lay-up to cut the lead to four, 48-44, with 3:45 to go. After Johnson missed the front end of a one-and-one, Martin again connected on a jumper in the lane to slice the advantage to two, 48-46.
Serna sandwiched two baskets around a UCR offensive foul, to make it 52-46 Santa Barbara, but the Highlanders looked to put together one last run in them as Martin's old-fashioned three-pointer cut the lead to three with 1:37 on the clock. Shortly thereafter Berry picked up his fifth foul, and UCSB scored eight of the final 11 points to seal the win.
The free throw disparity manifested itself in the second period as well as the Gauchos finished the game 17 for 28 from the charity stripe while the Highlanders were just nine of 14.
UC Riverside has never won at the Thunderdome, dropping 17 straight since the series began back in 1956.
The Highlanders return home this week beginning with a Wednesday, 7 pm meeting with Cal State Fullerton.
The Highlanders (11-14, 5-7) were severely depleted in the post as Kevin Bradshaw missed the game due to the death of his grandfather, and David Chavarria sat out the game with a leg injury. They lost the services of BJ Shearry with 5:27 to go in the first as he went down hard after leaping for a rebound off an errant Gauchos shot, and TJ Burke and Elliott Berry both fouled out of the game in the second period forcing UCR to play a five-guard lineup.
Still, the Highlanders were able to rely on their trademark defense as they forced the Gauchos (13-8, 8-3) to miss 22 of their 29 shots in the first half including all nine from three-point range.
UC Riverside scored 10 if the first 14 points before hitting a dry spell of their own which allowed UCSB to tie the game at 13 with 7:47 to go in the period. After trading baskets, the Highlanders went on an 11-1 run to go up 26-16 with 3:33 on the clock.
A 7-0 UC Santa Barbara run, punctuated by a James Nunnally alley-oop dunk, brought the Gauchos to within three, but the Highlanders scored the final four points of the period to take a 30-23 lead into the locker room.
The Gauchos stayed in the game by getting to the free throw line making nine of 15 from the charity stripe compared to five of eight for UCR in the first 20 minutes of action.
A pair of Berry free throws early in the second period put the Highlanders up 11, 34-23, but the Gauchos scored the next seven points to cut the UCR advantage to four. During that stretch, Burke was whistled for his fourth personal foul sending him to the bench further dwindling the Highlanders post options.
A few minutes later, an Alan Williams jumper cut the UCR advantage to one, and on the Highlanders next possession, Burke, who had just re-entered the game, picked up his fifth foul battling for a rebound. James Nunnally drained a three on the Gauchos next turn on offense putting UCSB up by two, 42-40.
Berry's jumper tied the game at 42, but Orlando Johnson scored the next four points of the game to give the Gauchos their largest lead of the night, 46-42, with 5:38 on the clock. Jamie Serna shot a pair of free throws for UCSB the next trip down the floor to go up six.
Phil Martin ended the drought with a driving lay-up to cut the lead to four, 48-44, with 3:45 to go. After Johnson missed the front end of a one-and-one, Martin again connected on a jumper in the lane to slice the advantage to two, 48-46.
Serna sandwiched two baskets around a UCR offensive foul, to make it 52-46 Santa Barbara, but the Highlanders looked to put together one last run in them as Martin's old-fashioned three-pointer cut the lead to three with 1:37 on the clock. Shortly thereafter Berry picked up his fifth foul, and UCSB scored eight of the final 11 points to seal the win.
The free throw disparity manifested itself in the second period as well as the Gauchos finished the game 17 for 28 from the charity stripe while the Highlanders were just nine of 14.
UC Riverside has never won at the Thunderdome, dropping 17 straight since the series began back in 1956.
The Highlanders return home this week beginning with a Wednesday, 7 pm meeting with Cal State Fullerton.
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