Women's Basketball Falls to UC Riverside 71-61
12/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2005
Box Score
Riverside, CA- Saint Mary's junior forward Eghosa Obaiza continued her stellar play off the bench but it was not enough as the Gaels (2-3) fell 61-71 to the UC Riverside Highlanders (3-1) Thursday night. Obaiza dropped in a career-high 18 points and grabbed eight boards in 19 minutes from the Student Recreation Center on the UC Riverside campus.
Newcomer Jontelle Smith chipped in 12 points for the Gaels with a team high three assists and junior Sheridan Arredondo poured in 10 points with eight rebounds.
The Highlanders were led by sophomore Kemie Nkele's game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds. The double-double marks her third in four games on the young season. Seyram Gbewonyo, 13 points, Roney Friend, 12 points and Tainoisouti Lott, 10 points, each recorded double figures for UCR.
The Gaels began the second half on a 15-2 run to take a 46-38 lead with 13 minutes left in regulation. Senior Brianna Winn poured in all of her seven points during that span hitting on two lay-ups and a long three. Obaiza pounded her way to six points and three boards off the bench to spark the run.
The highlanders soon put together a run of their own as they grabbed the lead for good with 7:44 left. In the last seven minutes the Gaels turned cold and only put in 10 points the remainder of the way.
In the first half SMC jumped out of the gate early and sported a 17-7 lead with 13 minutes remaining in the first half but the Highlanders just kept chipping away until the two teams went into the intermission knotted at 31.
The Gaels shot 36-percent from the floor and only 50-percent from the free-throw line while the Highlanders shot 43-percent and 83-percent from the line.
With Obaiza coming off the bench the Gaels out-scored the Highlanders 21-9 but SMC succumbed to being out-scored 13-4 on second chance points.
Saint Mary's will look to record its first road victory of the season when the Gaels head north to play UC Santa Barbara (0-5). Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. from the Thunderdome on the UCSB campus.
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