BOZEMAN, Mont. – Green Bay men's basketball battled hard for all 40 minutes but came up just short against the UC Riverside Highlanders Tuesday evening, falling 74-68.
The Phoenix (2-3) was paced by Noah Reynolds, who tallied 19 points. Rich Byhre added 14 more, while Marcus Hall and David Douglas Jr. tacked on a dozen apiece. The Highlanders (2-3) were led by Isaiah Moses' game-leading 22 points. Vladimer Salaridze was the only other Highlander to reach double figures with 14 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game remained within one or two possessions for the first 10 minutes of the contest. The Highlanders took an early 7-2 lead after Ben Griscti buried a triple with 16:39 left in the opening half. Green Bay cut the deficit and eventually tied the game after Byhre splashed a trey, making it 9-9 with 14:25 to go. UC Riverside strung together strong possessions on both ends of the floor and pulled away to a nine-point advantage after Wil Tattersall joined the three-point party, helping UCR to a 26-17 lead with 6:55 left. The Phoenix showed some fight and got back into the game thanks to a solid opening 20 minutes from Reynolds, who dazzled with eight points and five assists. He scored GB's last six points heading into the break and cut the deficit to five with a layup seconds before the first-half buzzer, making it 38-33 in favor of UCR at halftime.
Green Bay was nearly step-for-step in the second frame, keeping the game within a couple of possessions for most of the half. Hall came alive out of intermission, scoring GB's first four points before Reynolds sunk another three, making it 42-40 UCR. The Highlanders pulled away for a 10-point lead after Salaridze buried a mid-range jumper. Once again, the Phoenix wouldn't go away, going on a 12-2 run and tied the game again at 52-52 after Hall launched a triple. UCR would ensue with a 14-0 run capped by a Slaridze layup to make it 66-52 with 2:48 to go. Green Bay would make it interesting down the stretch, cutting it to a four-point deficit, but it was too much to overcome in the 74-68 loss.
GAME NOTES
» UC Riverside led the entire game.
» The Highlanders had a slight edge on the boards, outrebounding GB 32-31.
» The Phoenix racked up 16 assists on 25 field goals.
» Green Bay got a team-high six rebounds from Elijah Jones.
COMING UP
Green Bay will host St. Thomas this Saturday, November 25 for the first Resch Center game of the 2023-24 campaign. GB is proud to host Small Business Saturday at the game, with nearly a half-dozen businesses to be showcased. Purchase your tickets here, or if you can't make it to the Resch, watch the contest on ESPN+ and follow with live stats.
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