RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Interstat) — In a game defined by relentless pressure and a staggering 48 combined turnovers, Cal State Fullerton outlasted UC Riverside 82-78 in overtime in a Big West Conference women’s basketball thriller Thursday night at the UCR Rec Center.

The victory, secured before an announced crowd of 156, improved the Titans to 13-9 overall and marked their third consecutive win. The Highlanders, who led for much of the second half, fell to 7-15.

The most critical phase of the contest unfolded in the final minutes of regulation and the extra period, a direct result of the defensive chaos that prevailed throughout. After trailing by as many as 13 points in the third quarter, Cal State Fullerton mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback, outscoring UC Riverside 27-13 in the period to force overtime tied at 72.

The Titans’ full-court pressure, which generated 21 steals, finally broke the Highlanders’ composure down the stretch. UC Riverside committed 27 turnovers in the game, with several crucial miscues in the final two minutes of regulation and throughout overtime proving decisive.

Cal State Fullerton’s Cristina Jones, a 5-foot-10 guard from Long Beach, was the central figure in the comeback and overtime triumph. She scored a team-high 24 points, including two critical free throws with six seconds remaining in overtime that provided the final margin. Jones added two assists, a block and was a disruptive force defensively. Her performance built on recent strong outings, including a 13-point, nine-rebound effort in a win over UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 31.

She was complemented by guard Maddy Tauro, who scored 22 points and dished out four assists. The Titans’ offense, while inefficient at times, dominated inside, scoring 54 points in the paint compared to 40 for Riverside.

UC Riverside was carried by a spectacular performance from Australian guard Hannah Wickstrom. The 5-foot-10 junior from Melbourne poured in a game-high 35 points on 14-of-29 shooting, adding four assists and four steals in 39 minutes. Her backcourt mate, Kaylani Polk, nearly recorded a triple-double with 12 points, nine assists and two blocks, but also committed nine of her team’s turnovers.

The Highlanders seemed in control after a dominant second quarter, where they outscored Fullerton 25-13 to take a 35-29 lead into halftime. They extended that lead to 59-46 late in the third quarter behind Wickstrom’s scoring barrage. However, the Titans’ persistent defensive pressure gradually eroded the lead.

Cal State Fullerton’s comeback was also fueled by offensive rebounding, where they held a 14-8 advantage, creating 12 second-chance points. Despite shooting a dismal 13 of 27 from the free-throw line, the Titans made enough when it counted, including Jones’ clutch pair in the final seconds of overtime.

The game was a statistical oddity. While UC Riverside shot a better percentage from the field (45.3% to 47.1%) and from three-point range (31.8% to 50.0%), and were far more efficient from the foul line (81.3% to 48.1%), they were undone by the turnover discrepancy. The Titans converted those 27 Riverside giveaways into 29 points.

The win gave Cal State Fullerton a regular-season sweep of the Highlanders, having previously defeated them 83-71 on Jan. 17. It also defied the pregame analytics, as Interstat’s ELO system had projected UC Riverside with a 66.6 percent probability to win.

Cal State Fullerton will look to continue its momentum on the road at Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday. UC Riverside aims to regroup at home against Cal State Northridge, also on Saturday.