UCR Looks To Extend Best-Ever Big West Start Saturday vs. Cal Poly

Riverside, CA—The UC Riverside Men’s Basketball Team is the surprise of the Big West less than three weeks into the conference schedule as the Highlanders 3-1 mark has them in second place in the standings, a game behind 4-0 Long Beach State. That 3-1 mark it UCR’s best conference start since joining the Big West for the 2001-02 season.

At 9-8 overall, the Highlanders are also above the .500 mark this late in the season for just the second time in their 11-year Division I history. The 2008-09 squad was 10-7 after 17 games, finishing the season with a 17-13 record and an 8-8 conference mark.

Phil Martin continues to make his case for First-Team, All-Conference and Player of the Year consideration: He poured in a career-high 33 points in UC Riverside’s 79-70 overtime win over UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, and is now averaging 27.0 points per game in Big West play. His closest competition is UCSB’s Orlando Johnson, who is averaging 19.3 points per game—7.7 fewer than Martin.

The Staten Island, NY native also ranks seventh in conference play in field goal percentage, tied for 13th in rebounding, second in free throw percentage, ninth in three-point field goal percentage, and second in minutes played.

Martin and company will have their work cut out for them Saturday as they host Cal Poly (11-6, 2-2). The Mustangs boast the best scoring defense in the Big West and the 10th best in the nation at 55.7 points per game.

David Hanson is Cal Poly’s leading scorer at 11.2 points per game followed by Will Taylor (10.5) and Amaurys Fermin (10.4). The Mustangs outrebound their opponents by an average of 7.3 per contest, and they have 36 more steals on the season than their opposition.

The Highlanders are 42-41 all-time against the Mustangs. Three of those wins have come in the Big West Tournament, including last year’s 70-66 overtime victory over second-seed Cal Poly in the first round of play.

UCR Looks To Extend Best-Ever Big West Start Saturday vs. Cal Poly

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