Five Players In Double Figures Gives UCR 77-60 Win Over UCSB

Saturday, January 16

Student Recreation Center

5:00 PM

UC Riverside

UC Santa Barbara

Five Players In Double Figures Gives UCR 77-60 Win Over UCSB

1/16/2010 3:34:30 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score - UC Riverside 77, UC Santa Barbara 60

Riverside, CA - Five players scored in double figures for the UC Riverside women's basketball team on Saturday evening, propelling them to a 77-60 defeat over UC Santa Barbara (5-12, 2-3) in Big West action at the Student Recreation Center.

The Highlanders have now won back-to-back contests for the first time all season as they move to 5-12 overall and 2-2 in conference play. The 17-point defeat over the Guachos was the Highlanders first since the 2007 season and also marks the largest margin of victory over UCSB in UCR's Division I history.

Junior Alyssa Morris paced UCR with a game-high 21 points and eight assists while Amber Cox added 16 points. Rhaya and Rheya Neabors each contributed 14 points and Marissa Rivera had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Highlanders shot 48.3 percent (28-of-58) from the field including a season-high 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from three-point range. The 11 long balls made ties the UCR single-game record for most three-pointers made in the program's history.

UCR forced 16 UCSB turnovers while only accumulating 11 for themselves -- a season-low. The Highlanders also out rebounded the Gauchos 34 to 30.

The Highlanders opened the game strong by taking a 12-point lead, 19-7, at the 12:30 mark. The Gauchos then scored eight straight en route to a 20-8 run that tied the game at 27 all with just under six remaining.

The teams traded buckets to close out the half as a Rhe. Neabors three-pointer sent the Highlanders into the break up 38-35.

UCR began the second half on a 7-0 run to take a 45-35 lead with 17:10 to go. The Highlanders pushed their lead out to 12 two minutes later, but the Gauchos rallied to within four, 53-49, at the 9:34 mark.

Four straight Highlander points over the next minute then gave UCR an eight point lead, a lead they never relinquished for the rest of the game. Up by 12 with a minute to go, UCSB was forced to foul UCR, and five straight points from the charity stripe pushed the final score to 77-60 in favor of the Highlanders.

The Highlanders are halfway done with their four-game home stand as they continue Big West play on Thursday, Jan. 21 against Cal Poly at 7:00 pm at the Student Rec Center.