7-14 (3-6BWC)
UC Riverside
12-10 (6-3BWC)
UC Riverside Women's Basketball Edges Cal Poly 72-69 At The Buzzer
2/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly women's basketball team narrowed a seven-point deficit to two late in the fourth quarter Saturday night, but UC Riverside survived in Mott Athletics Center for a 72-69 win before a crowd of 1,856 after the Mustangs' 3-point buzzer-beater attempt missed off the back iron as time expired.
Neither team led by more than eight points throughout a close battle that featured eight ties and six lead changes leading up to the final possession.
The defending Big West Conference regular-season champion Highlanders took their largest lead of the evening at 63-56 with 4:49 remaining. Cal Poly chipped away, as a layup from junior point guard Kelly Wong cut the gap to 65-60 with 4:09 left, before a jumper by sophomore forward Katie Nunnelley made it 65-62 at the 3:37 mark.
A 3-pointer by junior Lynn Leaupepe brought the Mustangs to within 69-67 with 13 seconds to play.
UCR's Réjane Vérin proceeded to knock down a pair of free throws after the ensuing foul, but Cal Poly junior Dynn Leaupepe also sank two of her own to bring it back to a two-point game following a Highlander foul at midcourt.
Then with seven seconds remaining, Vérin missed her first free throw before making the second for a 72-69 lead. After getting the ball across halfcourt, the Mustangs got a look behind the arc, but junior forward Emily Anderson — coming off a 3-for-8 performance shooting 3s on Thursday and 1-for-2 behind the line at the time of the shot — barely rimmed out at the horn.
UCR led 21-19 after the first quarter before the Mustangs responded to take their largest lead of the game, 37-29, on a 3-pointer by junior guard Gabby Grupalo 1:26 before halftime en route to a 37-34 lead at the break.
Lauren Holt scored 19 points to lead the Highlanders (12-10, 6-3), who led 57-51 after the third quarter.
Lynn Leaupepe finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, her seventh double-double of the year.
Mustang senior center Hannah Gilbert added 16 points and five rebounds. Gilbert, who was 6-for-7 on the night, moved to No. 11 in career scoring in school history (with 1,029 points) and stayed No. 7 in all-time rebounding (615).
Cal Poly (7-14, 3-6) will next visit UC Irvine (3-19, 1-7) for a 7 p.m. tipoff Thursday before facing Cal State Fullerton (4-18, 1-8) at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 on ESPN3.
Photo © 2017 Matt Aguirre / Cal Poly Athletics
