Dec. 18, 2006

Box Score

Orem, UT- The Utah Valley State women's basketball team had its opportunities to beat UC Riverside on Monday at the McKay Center. Trailing by one point with 10 seconds left in the game the Wolverines had the ball but Asumi Nakayama missed an off-balanced jumper at the buzzer to give the UC Riverside Highlanders a 70-69 victory.

"I feel similar to the BYU game in that I am not disappointed that we came up short but that we did not give our best effort out there," Utah Valley State coach Cathy Nixon said. "We have to find solutions."

The loss was disappointing since Robyn Fairbanks had a career high 34 points on 13 of 24 shooting from the field. Fairbanks and Ashley Grimm also grabbed a team-best six rebounds.

"We have to be able to support Robyn," Nixon said. "She is unbelievably awesome."

Sandy Marvin did score 15 points but as a team the Wolverines shot only 39 percent from the field for the game and just over 34 percent in the second half.

UC Riverside shot 44 percent from the field and was led by Kemie Nkele's 23 points and Roney Friend's 17 points. The Highlanders also out rebounded the Wolverines 40-39.

Neither team could hang onto a lead very long through out the game as the score was tied nine times and the lead changed hands 11 times.

Utah Valley led 52-47 on a Fairbanks 3-pointer with 12:30 left in the game. But the Wolverines were held with out a field goal for a little over a nine minute stretch as the Highlanders took a 68-61 lead with 2:48 remaining.

Fairbanks then scored six straight points to cut the Highlander lead to 68-67 with 1:40 left on the clock. Nkele scored on a put back with 51 seconds and Fairbanks followed with two free throws 10 seconds later to cut the UC Riverside lead to 70-69.

In the Wolverines final possession Nixon said she wanted to get the ball to Fairbanks.

"She was open," Nixon said. "We just were unable to get it to her."

In the first half, the Wolverines fell behind 16-8 early thanks to 3-pointers by Nkele and Brittany Waddell. Utah Valley then went on an 11-3 run to tie the game at 19 on a lay up by Rebekah Peterson with 8:11 left in the first half.

Two minutes later Fairbanks and Peterson each scored give UV a 25-22 lead. In the final minutes of the first half Fairbanks scored two baskets to give the Wolverines a 39-34 lead at halftime.

Peterson had a solid effort with eight points, five rebounds and five assists for Utah Valley.

The Wolverines return to the court on Wednesday when they host Montana State in the McKay Center on Wednesday. Tip off is set for 2 p.m.