Riverside, CA—The UC Riverside Women's Basketball Team (2-0) heads north for two games against nationally-ranked Pac-12 teams this week, as the Highlanders face #21 Cal on Friday, November 20, in an 11:30 am PT tip, and #7 Oregon State, Sunday November 20, at 2 pm.
UC Riverside had three players score in double figures at San Diego State, Monday, led by newcomer Rejane Verin's 22 points. Verin's shot 9 for 14 at SDSU while grabbing 7 rebounds in just her second game as a Highlander.
Annelise Ito (18 points) and Brittany Crain (16) also scored in double figures in the 85-68 victory (
box score/
recap), while Ito added eight boards and five assists and Crain chipped in with six rebounds and three assists.
The win over the Aztec's was the Highlanders second straight over a Mountain West team, as UCR topped Fresno State 86-68 in the 2015-16 season opener on November 13 (
box score/
recap).
In addition to this weekend's games against Cal and Oregon State, UC Riverside has three more games this season against Pac-12 competition—at Oregon on December 15, at Washington on December 18, and vs. UCLA at the SRC Arena on December 28.
Cal (2-0), who made it to the second round of the NCAA tourney last season, defeated No. 8 Louisville, 75-71, on the road Friday for it's first win over a top-10 opponent since 2013. The Bears also swept the Pac-12 opening week awards with junior Courtney Range winning Player of the Week and Kristine Anigwe taking home Freshman of the Week honors.
Range leads the Cal scoring attack averaging 21 points a game, followed by Anigwe at 15 per contest, and another freshman, Asha Thomas, with 13.5 a game.
Cal has dominated its opponents early on in the season by controlling the glass, as they have four players averaging more than 7.5 rebounds a game, and have out-rebounded their opponents by an average margin of 15.5 per contest.
The Highlanders are 1-4 versus Cal, and have lost three in a row including the most recent meeting back in 2007 which resulted in a 65-49 defeat.
Oregon State (2-0) climbed the national polls this week to their highest ranking in school history. The Beavers opened the season with convincing victories over Longwood, 110-45, and Portland, 94-50.
The Beavers return four starters and 10 letter winners to a squad that set the school record for wins last year, going 27-5, and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Senior guard, Jamie Weisner is averaging 23 points a game, shooting 67% (6-9) from three-point range, and is a perfect 8-8 from the charity stripe. As a team, Oregon State is making 53 percent of its shots from long distance, and out-rebounding the opposition, 100-37, for a 31.5-rebound advantage per game.
This is the first meeting between Oregon State and the Highlanders.
