Saturday, February 24
Riverside, CA
6 P.M.
14-11,10-5Big West
60
at
62
UC Riverside
16-11,11-6Big West
1
2
3
4
OT 1
F
Cal Poly
16
17
8
10
9
60
UC Riverside
13
10
7
21
11
62
Team Stats
CPO
UCR
FG%
.431
.433
3FG%
.500
.250
FT%
.750
.462
RB
38
30
TO
25
18
STL
8
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
Mustangs Unable to Hang On Against UC Riverside in OT
2/24/2024 9:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — In a high stakes affair that had playoff position implications with four games left in the season, Cal Poly was unable to overcome a UC Riverside comeback that led to a 62-60 buzzer beating loss in overtime. Despite the Mustangs' defensive struggles deep in the game, Natalia Ackerman lit up the hardwood with her ninth double-double of 2023-24, putting up 16 points and 12 rebounds in just 26 minutes of play.
With six teams in contention for the top-4 spots in the Big West that would yield byes through either the first or second round of the championship tournament, Cal Poly came close to taking sole possession of third place. However, the Highlanders overcame an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime before hitting a last second reverse layup to defeat the Mustangs.
Cal Poly got off to a hot start in the first quarter, eating up plenty of time in the UCR half, playing hard in the key and drawing fouls in the process. Sidney Bourland (14 points, 4 assists) received the majority of the attention under the rim and had a fantastic game from the charity stripe, successfully converting all eight of her free throw attempts, a career high for the junior forward.
Towards the end of the first quarter, UC Riverside found its stride and took advantage of some Cal Poly shooting troubles from mid and long range. Into the second quarter, the Mustangs finally found some solid footing as turnovers at both ends of the court allowed them to grab the largest lead of the game at 25-14 halfway through the period.
The third quarter was physically dominated by Cal Poly in both the key and off the boards, further entrenching a double-digit lead heading into the final period. Natalia Ackerman pushed into double-double territory during the quarter and led in points and rebounds through the rest of the game.
In a nail-biting fourth quarter, the Mustangs lost control of possession and turned over the ball consistently, allowing UC Riverside a route back into the contest. A 16-6 Highlander run through the latter half of the fourth quarter saw UCR get within two shots of Cal Poly. Despite push-back from the Mustangs in the final minute of play, UC Riverside tied up the game and sent it to overtime.
Cal poly started overtime in control, while foul trouble plagued Riverside as Esther Matarranz, the player who led the fourth quarter charge, fouled out shortly after the period began. Despite the Mustangs' attempts to respond with a run on points, turnovers began to rack up again and UCR gained possession with just enough time to hand on for the final shot. With less than a second to go, Riverside's Jordyn Marshall converted a buzzer-beating reverse layup to ice the game.
With this loss, Cal Poly now sits tied for fifth in the Big West with rivals UC Santa Barbara as both teams are one game behind a bye-spot. The three of the final four games in the season will be vital in deciding the Mustangs' playoff positioning. Up next is a Thursday, Feb. 29 home match-up against UCSB to break the current tie and potentially move up the standings with some help elsewhere.
With six teams in contention for the top-4 spots in the Big West that would yield byes through either the first or second round of the championship tournament, Cal Poly came close to taking sole possession of third place. However, the Highlanders overcame an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime before hitting a last second reverse layup to defeat the Mustangs.
Cal Poly got off to a hot start in the first quarter, eating up plenty of time in the UCR half, playing hard in the key and drawing fouls in the process. Sidney Bourland (14 points, 4 assists) received the majority of the attention under the rim and had a fantastic game from the charity stripe, successfully converting all eight of her free throw attempts, a career high for the junior forward.
Towards the end of the first quarter, UC Riverside found its stride and took advantage of some Cal Poly shooting troubles from mid and long range. Into the second quarter, the Mustangs finally found some solid footing as turnovers at both ends of the court allowed them to grab the largest lead of the game at 25-14 halfway through the period.
The third quarter was physically dominated by Cal Poly in both the key and off the boards, further entrenching a double-digit lead heading into the final period. Natalia Ackerman pushed into double-double territory during the quarter and led in points and rebounds through the rest of the game.
In a nail-biting fourth quarter, the Mustangs lost control of possession and turned over the ball consistently, allowing UC Riverside a route back into the contest. A 16-6 Highlander run through the latter half of the fourth quarter saw UCR get within two shots of Cal Poly. Despite push-back from the Mustangs in the final minute of play, UC Riverside tied up the game and sent it to overtime.
Cal poly started overtime in control, while foul trouble plagued Riverside as Esther Matarranz, the player who led the fourth quarter charge, fouled out shortly after the period began. Despite the Mustangs' attempts to respond with a run on points, turnovers began to rack up again and UCR gained possession with just enough time to hand on for the final shot. With less than a second to go, Riverside's Jordyn Marshall converted a buzzer-beating reverse layup to ice the game.
With this loss, Cal Poly now sits tied for fifth in the Big West with rivals UC Santa Barbara as both teams are one game behind a bye-spot. The three of the final four games in the season will be vital in deciding the Mustangs' playoff positioning. Up next is a Thursday, Feb. 29 home match-up against UCSB to break the current tie and potentially move up the standings with some help elsewhere.
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