Box Score Riverside—In a rematch of teams that played two weeks ago, the outcome was the same, however the path to that outcome was vastly different this time.
With first place on the line, the Highlanders got 25 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists from Rejane Verin, the reigning Big West Player of the Week, in a, 92-81, win at home over UC Santa Barbara.

Brittany Crain shook off slow shooting start in the first half to find her way to 23 points, including 17 second half points, and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line for the game.

The Highlanders led wire-to-wire in the win, but were unable pull away from the Gauchos, like they did in their first meeting. In their first meeting in Santa Barbara, the Highlanders won, 83-53, for their largest margin in a road in ten years.

UCR (12-7, 5-0), who again only had eight players available, jumped out to a 10 point lead early in the game, 18-8. The Gauchos battle back to cut the lead to five by the end of the first quarter, 26-21.
 
At the half UCR led 47-41. Michelle Curry had 13 points, Annelise Ito 11, and Verin 10 points, seven rebounds. Onome Jemerigbe scored 12 points in the first two periods to lead UC Santa Barbara.

With 3:26 to play in the third, leading 58-56, the Highlanders began to apply a full court pressure defense which sparked an 11-2 run. They forced the Gauchos into seven third quarter turnovers, and entered the final period with a 69-58 lead.

The fourth quarter was played even at 23 apiece, as UCR held on for the 92-81 victory.

The 5-0 start to conference play has never before been accomplished in the history of Big West conference membership by UCR. Their overall winning streak is now at six games.

Verin flirted with a triple double, tallying 25 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, to go along with three steals. Ito also filled the stat sheet, amassing 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the win.

Crain had 23, and Curry had 15 points, giving her six double digits games for the year.

UC Santa Barbara was led Jasmine Ware's 23 points off the bench, followed by Coco Miller's 18 and Jemerigbe's 16.

The first place UC Riverside Women's Basketball Team plays just once next week, an ESPN3 televised game at home against Cal Poly, Thursday, January 28 at 7 pm.