Northridge, CA—The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team heads to Northridge this Saturday for a 7:30 pm PT tip against the Matadors. The Highlanders are looking to snap a five-game losing skid, and pick up their first Big West win of the season.
UCR dropped to a game below the .500 mark on Thursday for the first time this season following an 80-71 loss to Hawaii (
box score/
recap). Jaylen Bland posted his second straight 20-plus point scoring effort pouring in 22 points against the Rainbow Warriors. He connected on four threes on the night, and now ranks seventh in the nation in made threes per game at 3.63. Bland also ranks third in the Big West in points per game (16.9) and second in steals (27).
Taylor Johns was limited to just 24 minutes of action due to foul trouble, and had one of his toughest nights of the season scoring five points and grabbing four rebounds. After averaging 19.4 points per game over his first five games, the senior is averaging 10.8 points per game over his last nine outings. He also is averaging 6.0 rebounds per game over his last 10 games after averaing 12.0 per game in his first four contests.
Secean Johnson has picked up the slack averaging 15.2 points per game over his last five games, while connecting on 50 percent of his field goal attempts.
The Highlanders calling card through the first 12 games of the season was its peremiter defense as they held opponents to 26.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Over their past seven games, however, they have allowed the opposition to make 40.7 percent of their attempts.
CSUN (6-11, 1-2) dropped two of its first three conference games to start the new year, falling most recently to UC Davis, 63-62. Kendall Smith's 18.8 points per game lead the Matadors and would be second in the Big West, but he has only played in eight games this season. Micheal Warren is second on the squad with 14.4 points per game followed by Tavrion Dawson at 11.7.
As a team, CSUN connects on 44.8 percent of its field goal attempts, which is the third highest percentage in the conference, and they lead the league in free throw percentage at 72.2 percent.
Defensively, however, the Matadors allow a league-high 39.5 percent from beyond the arc, and the third most points per game at 74.1.
The Highlanders are 34-39 all-time against CSUN (
view results), but have won six of the last 10 meetings between the teams.
