Riverside—The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team is off to its best start since the 2009-10 season, and looks to match that squad's 5-3 start this Saturday as the Highlanders host Portland State at the SRC Arena beginning at 5 pm.
UCR has won two straight games and three of its last four thanks to a 59-58, come-from-behind victory at CSU Bakersfield on Tuesday evening (
box score/
recap). Taylor Johns bucket with 12 seconds remaining gave UC Riverside its only lead of the second half as the Highlanders moved back over the .500 mark.
Johns leads UC Riverside in scoring (14.9 ppg), rebounding (8.3) and blocked shots this season. Those averages rank eighth, second and second in the Big West this season.
The Highlanders offensive output has seen a huge uptick this year as UC Riverside is connecting on 45.6 percent of its field goals, 37.8 percent of its three-pointers and 72.6 percent of its free throws. If the Highlanders maintain those percentages, they will each be the highest posted by the program since the team made the transition to Division I in 2001-02.
Portland State began the 2014-15 campaign with wins in each of its first four games including victories over USC (76-68) and CSUN (63-55). That streak came to an end Sunday with a 81-59 loss at Oregon, and the Vikings dropped their most recent decision, 83-71, to Portland on Wednesday evening.
Portland State is averaging 73.8 points per game this season, and boasts five players in double figures—DaShaun Wiggins (15.3), Bryce White (12.3), Tim Douglas (12.0), Tiegbe Bamba (11.3) and Braxton Ticker (10.8). The Vikings are making 40.2 percent of their shots from beyond the arc, and have taken 44 more free throw attempts than their opponents in 2014-15.
Portland State is vulnerable on defense, however, as opponents are making 46.6 percent of their field goal attempts and 37.6 percent of their three-pointers. They are also averaging nearly eight more rebounds per game than the Vikings.
UC Riverside is 1-3 all time against Portland State (
view results), including a 66-58 road loss on February 23, 2012 (
box score/
recap).
