Phoenix, AZ—The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team cut a 13-point, second-half deficit down to two with under a minute to go Sunday evening, and had a handful of opportunities to tie or take the lead, but Grand Canyon withstood the rally and slipped away with a 71-69 victory.
Trailing by six with less than a minute to go in the game, Nick Gruninger scored on a lay up to cut the lead to four, and the Highlanders (7-7) called time out. When play resumed, Gruninger stole the ball from DeWayne Russell, and scored on another lay up to make it a one possession game with 47 ticks on the clock.
UC Riverside fouled Russell with 33 seconds remaining, and the 'Lopes leading scorer on the year missed them both. Colin Gruber secured the rebound, and the Highlanders raced down the floor. Gruninger drove the lane looking for his third straight basket, but his shot was off the mark. Gruber grabbed the miss, but his follow was to hard off the rim.
The ball bounced out to Austin Quick who launched the go-ahead shot from beyond the arc, but he misfired as well. The ball bounced out of bounds off a member of the 'Lopes, though, giving the Highlanders another chance. UCR inbounded the ball to Gruber, but the senior couldn't come up with it, and Royce Woodridge picked up the steal. Quick was forced to foul Woolridge, and the senior guard stepped to the free throw line with 14 seconds to go.
Woolridge made both, and UC Riverside once again raced down the court. Gruninger was fouled after crossing the timeline and made both ends of a one-and-one with 11 seconds to go to keep the Highlanders in the game.
UCR pressured the inbounds pass, and Woolridge accidentally dribbled the ball out of bounds with three seconds on the clock giving the Highlanders one last opportunity. Unfortunately, Bland's three-pointer with a second to go didn't go down, and the 'Lopes escaped with the two-point win.
Bland led all scorers with a career-high 26 points, and his six three-pointers were the most by a member of the Highlanders since Javon Borum made a half dozen vs. Cal state Fullerton back on January 8, 2011.
Steven Thornton tied his season high with 15 points, and Taylor Johns came up just shy of a double-double scoring 10 points and grabbing nine rebounds. UC Riverside was just 14 of 24 from the free throw line on the night.
The Highlanders head back to the Inland Empire this week to begin Big West play beginning with a Thursday, January 8 home game vs. Cal State Fullerton. Tip at the SRC Arena is slated for 7 pm PT.
