Riverside—The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team (5-3) takes a break for finals this week before returning to the hardwood to host #28 UNLV on Saturday, December 12 at 4 pm PT. The last time the Highlanders squared off against a nationally-ranked opponent at the SRC Arena was back on March 5, 2005 when #17 Pacific came to the Inland Empire.
UC Riverside is also partnering with the Riverside Police Department this Saturday to collect toys for underprivileged children in the IE. Any fan who brings a toy to either the men's or women's game (vs. CSU Bakersfield at 7 pm) that day will receive a $5 ticket to the men's game, and free admission to the women's game.
The Highlanders dropped a 77-76 decision at LMU on Sunday afternoon despite a 24-point, 17-rebound effort by Taylor Johns. UCR was on pace for one of its best offensive outings of the season in the first half against the Lions, as the team shot 55.6 percent from the field including seven of 15 from beyond the arc. All that changed after the intermission, however, as the Highlanders hit just 25.8 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from three-point range over the final 20 minutes of play.
Johns leads UC Riverside in scoring and rebounding averaging a 20.0-point, 11.7-rebound double-double on the season, while Jaylen Bland is among the top ten in the nation in made three-pointers and averages 17.9 points per game. Newcomer Secean Johnson is also averaging double figures in scoring at 13.3 points per contest.
The Highlanders are outscoring opponents by 10.0 points a game this season, making 39.7 percent of their shots from long distance while holding opponents to 26.6 percent from beyond the arc.
UNLV (7-1) has won four straight games heading into a Wednesday night road tilt at Wichita State. That includes an 80-69 victory over #15 Oregon on Friday. Ike Nwamu scored 19 points in the win, and the Rebels leading scorer at 18.4 points per game, Patrick McCaw, added 14. Stephen Zimmerman Jr. chipped in with a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double against the Ducks. The seven-foot freshman is averaging a near double-double on the season with 10.3 points and 9.1 rebounds.
Two other Rebels are averaging double figures for a UNLV squad that puts up 83.1 points per game—Jerome Seagears (12.1) and Derrick Jones Jr. (11.4). The Rebels connect on 46.7 percent of their field goals and 25.1 percent of their three-pointers, while blocking six shots per game and outscoring the opposition by nearly 17 a game.
Defensively, UNLV allows just 39.8 percent shooting from the field, but they are susceptible to the long ball as opponents make 36.4 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.
The Rebels opened the season with a 74-72 win over Big West foe Cal Poly. Their lone loss of the year was to UCLA, 77-75, in the Championship Round of the Maui Invitational.
The Highlanders are 1-12 all-time against UNLV (
view results) with their lone win coming back on February 19, 1960 (69-52). The teams have faced off against one another just once since 1965 with the Rebels picking up an 85-41 victory on November 12, 2010 at Thomas & Mack Center (
box score/
recap).
