First Round - No. 7 UC Riverside 54, No. 6 seed Long Beach State 40

Championship Central | Box score | UCR presser | LBSU presser | Game Highlights
No. 7 seed UC Riverside secured a victory over sixth-seeded Long Beach State, 54-40, at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, Nev., during the first round of the 2025 Big West Women's Basketball Championship, presented by Credit Union 1. 

The game was a low-scoring defensive battle through. The Highlanders capitalized on free throws, converting 17 of 22 attempts from the line, in contrast to LBSU's 7-for-12 performance from the line. The contest featured three ties and two lead changes, with the Highlanders pulling ahead in the final quarter by scoring 23 points.

UCR improves to 17-14 on the season, advancing to play third-seeded UC Davis in Thursday's second round. 

Big West Beast Defensive Player was an offensive key for the Highlanders as Makayla Rose led the scoring with 13 points, including two shots from distance. Rose also added six assists and three steals. Seneca Hackley was effective at the free-throw line, converting seven of ten attempts, to finish with 12 points. Shelley Duchemin added nine points and was a defensive presence with two blocks and seven rebounds. Esther Matarranz also recorded two blocks, while scoring seven points, all from the free throw line. 

After a slow start by both teams, and a 1-for-14 period for the Beach, the Highlanders held an 8-4 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Highlanders and the Beach were closely matched in the second quarter, with UC Riverside scoring nine points to Long Beach State's ten. UCR was efficient in the paint, scoring eight in the paint including two layups for Gemma Cutler as the score was 17-14 in favor of the Highlanders at the break. 

In the third quarter, the Highlanders outscored Long Beach State 14-13 to maintain the lead. UCR grabbed a total of thirteen rebounds, with seven coming on the offensive end, against one of the nation's best in the battle of the boards. The fourth quarter was all UC Riverside , who outscored LBSU 23-13 to take the win.  The team capitalized on free throws, making 12 of 15 attempts to close out the game and advance to the second round of championship action.

Graduate student Rachel Loobie led the Beach with 12 total rebounds and a team-high eight points while adding three blocks. Redshirt sophomore Kennan Ka stood out offensively, shooting 50 percent from the field to finish with seven points in the loss.

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