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UC Riverside cruises past Occidental College 106-30 in the Homecoming game.

MATTHEW AU

Contributing Writer The UC Riverside’s men’s basketball team swept Occidental College 106-30 on Saturday night. After traveling to Omaha, Nebraska earlier in the week to face off against Creighton University, UCR suffered a stunning defeat and eagerly awaited a strong comeback against their next opponent. As the SRC Arena roared to life, the Highlanders challenged and overpowered the Occidental Tigers the entire game without setback.

UCR opened the game with two successful steals by graduate guard Flynn Cameron transitioning into two layups made by Flynn and senior guard Zyon Pullin. With a quick layup scored by the Tigers, the Highlanders in reprisal scored two three-pointers and an additional layup from Cameron, Pullin and sophomore center Jhaylon Martinez to set a 10-point lead of 12-2 with 14:47 left. UCR established a sudden 16-point score streak with four successful three-pointers made within a span of five minutes. Feeling confident, UCR substituted most of their starting players despite Occidental beginning to trade three-pointers and jump shots with UCR. Once more UCR scored back-toback three-pointers from Pullin and graduate guard Jamal Hartwell II, followed by three successful free throws yet again from Hartwell with 5:25 left. In the final five minutes of the first half, Occidental began to eat away at UCR’s lead with two threepointers and one jump shot. Without ease, the Highlanders outperformed OU’s efforts with redundant three-pointers and free throws to bring a close to the first half at 52-19, a 32-point lead for UCR.

Beginning the second half, freshman forward Lachlan Olbrich scored two layups following a steal by Pullin. As UCR and OU continued to exchange two-pointers, UCR once more gained another scoring streak with 16:35 left. After subsequent threepointers and layups scored by Olbrich and Flynn, UCR was able to substitute their lead shooters for auxiliary players. Keeping the scorestreak alive, Hartwell and sophomore forward Vladimer Salaridze scored repetitive three-pointers with many other players contributing to the scoreboard as the game’s final ten minutes rolled around. As Occidental continued to put up an unsuccessful defense and offense, Highlander starters were once more put in to finish off the game. Martinez, Olbrich, Pullin and Salaridze all put up additional three-pointers or layups with additional assists and shots made by freshman guard Nate Pickens and sophomore forward Luke Turner. In the final minutes of the game, Occidental valiantly scored another successful layup and one free throw but was met by two layups from both Martinez and Turner. With only 12 seconds remaining, OU scored one final layup to close out the game 106-30.

COURTESY OF UCR SPORTS

The lead scorers from the blowout were Olbrich and Hartwell, scoring 16 and 15 points respectively, both season highs. Pullin trailing on the scoresheet put up 14 points and 2 steals. All three players established season highs for the number of three-pointers made and attempted. Olbrich shot 2-3 from three-point range, Hartwell 4-6 and Pullin 2-2. This game recorded the season high for most three-pointers made and attempted by the entire team, shooting 19-40 from downtown, cumulating to a 47.5% success rate in three-pointers made.

As the Highlanders tie their season win-to-loss ratio at 2-2, they aim to beat Weber State at Henderson, Nevada, another NCAA Division 1 team on Monday, November 21.

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UC Riverside men’s soccer team falls to University of Portland in the opening round of men’s NCAA soccer

KIA NOOSHI

Contributing Writer

COURTESY OF UCR SPORTS

UC Riverside men’s soccer team suffered a heartbreaking loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament this past week, marking the end of a fantastic season which included becoming both the regular season and tournament champions in the Big West Conference. This was only the second time the Highlanders had gone dancing in program history with the last being in 2018 when they also suffered a close loss in the first round. While the season ended in defeat, the team, coaching staff and everyone involved in the athletic department can come away from this season with their heads held high as the program was on the brink of collapse just two years ago from financial difficulties due to COVID-19. Head coach Tim Cupello, and athletic director Wesley Mallete have shown great care and passion for a program that appeared to be in transition with 14 new players joining the roster and facing adversity early in the season. Cupello and Mallette helped turn the season around, sweeping both possible Big West titles, driving huge turnouts at games and setting up the soccer program for continued success in the upcoming years and hopefully a deeper run in upcoming NCAA tournaments. ■ H

The match started off slowly, with both teams attempting but failing to gain the upper hand within the first 10 minutes of the game. Portland was the favorite going into the match with much more prior tournament experience having made it to the second round the year prior. The Highlanders appeared to match up well against their opponents, stifling Portland’s wingers to start the game. The Pilots’ experience helped them gain the advantage in the 16th minute when a well-won freekick turned into a headed goal for the Pilots. Following the goal, UCR went on the offensive in an attempt to tie the game up going into the break getting off multiple shots to no avail. The Highlanders went into the half with a one-goal deficit but were very much still in the game.

THE HIGHLANDERS END THEIR SEASON AFTER SUFFERING A HEARTBREAKING LOSS TO THE PILOTS

the second half the Highlanders lost the ball close to their own goal while attempting to build up play out the back and the Pilots capitalized scoring off a shot within three passes after winning the ball back. Following Portland’s second goal the match turned into a cat-and-mouse game with the Highlanders having to find a balance between sending men forward in search of an equalizer while maintaining defensive integrity in order to not concede a third. During this period of transition UCR’s fullbacks put in a shift pushing up and down the wings to create wide overloads on offense whenever Portland did not have possession.

Desperation began to kick in with around 10 minutes to play and the Highlanders began committing more and more men forward to combat Portland’s deep defensive block. This led to an interesting tactic where UCR’s tall, strong center backs pushed up alongside the forwards and the wingers dropped to cover and send in crosses from deep whenever Portland cleared the ball. While unconventional, the tactic proved effective as with less than two minutes to go sophomore defender Aleksander Vukovic tipped the ball past the keeper from a Brendan Clark ball from deep which sophomore forward Noah Lopez was able to head into Vukovic’s path. That gave the Highlanders some hope to find an equalizer and force extra time but that hope was short-lived as Portland held on and the Highlanders’ time at the dance ended before it really began.

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