Riverside barely holds on for win over UVSC

OREM — Utah Valley State sophomore Robyn Fairbanks was on the verge of single-handedly willing the Wolverines to victory Monday against visiting UC Riverside, but UVSC lost 70-69 when it couldn't get the ball to its 6-foot-1 center for one final, last-second shot.

The Wolverines (9-3) trailed by seven points with three minutes to go, but Fairbanks, who tallied a career-high 34 points, scored her team's final 10 points to pull UVSC within one point.

After the Highlanders (6-5) missed a shot with 15 seconds to go, Utah Valley snagged the rebound and called timeout with a chance to win the game. When the play that Wolverine coach Cathy Nixon called for Fairbanks broke down in the face of a swarming UCR defense, freshman point guard Asumi Nakayama was forced to take a desperation, leaning, double-pump bank shot from the top of the key. The ball clanged off the rim shortly before time expired.

"We had Robyn isolated on the low block and we weren't able to get her the ball," Nixon said. "That's exactly what we wanted to do, regardless of circumstances. We had exactly what we wanted; she was open, but we just weren't able to get it to her.

"I take responsibility for plays like that. Maybe we should've looked somewhere else, but I would want the ball in Robyn's hands every time."

UVSC led 39-34 at halftime, but saw its lead quickly evaporate when the Highlanders scored the first six points after intermission.

Fairbanks drained a 3-pointer from the right corner with 12:36 to play to put the Wolverines back up by five points at 52-47. Utah Valley, though, lost the lead for good when it went five minutes before making its next field goal.

During the run in which Fairbanks scored the final 10 UVSC points, power forward Ashley Grimm got three assists. With UCR trying to front Fairbanks, Grimm repeatedly succeeded at lobbing the ball over the fronting defender to Fairbanks for an uncontested layup.

All afternoon, the Highlanders had no answer for Fairbanks, who was simply too quick for 6-foot-5 center Katerina Glyniadaki and power forward Kemie Nkele.

Nkele led UCR with 23 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Sandy Marvin added 15 points for the Wolverines.

UVSC plays its fifth game in three days Wednesday, hosting Montana State at 2:05 p.m.