Box Score Riverside—The UC Riverside Women's Basketball team got 28 points from senior Brittany Crain that led five players in double figures in their, 93-69, win over UC Irvine to open Big West conference play.

The Highlanders (8-7, 1-0) picked up a win in the opening game of conference play for the first time since the 2010-11 season, when they won, 73-61, at Cal State Fullerton.

For the first time this season, all five starters scored in double figures. The team also matched its season-high in made threes with 10, and shot 90 percent (9-10) from the free throw line.

Coming into the game the Highlanders were ranked 12th nationally in assists with 18.6 per game. Thursday night's season-high 26 assists should move them up the ranks.

UC Irvine (3-12, 0-1) got a three from Raelyn Cheung-Sutton early in the first period for their only lead of the game, 5-4.

UC Riverside would respond with a 12-0 run that put the game at a distance the Anteaters would not close. The first period would end with the Highlanders leading, 32-13, on the strength of 11 points in the quarter from Crain.

At the half the Highlanders led 49-32. They got 10 points and nine boards from Annelise Ito, and Crain tallied eight more points in the second period to bring her first half total to a season-high 19 points in the first half.

UC Irvine was led by Mckenzie Piper's 13 first half points.

With 7:47 to play in the third quarter, UCR went on a 6-0 run to push the lead to 22 at 62-40. In the run Crain converted a jumper and layup, before Clemence Lefebvre scored a bucket in paint to cap the run.

UC Riverside would end the third leading, 74-50. The 24 point margin would remain, as the teams played the fourth and final period even, 19-19, for a final score of 93-69.

Crain's 28 led all scorers. Ito recorded her second double double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds to go along with six assists.

Lefebvre connected on 3-of-6 three point attempts on her way to 17 points. Simone DeCoud scored 12 points, and Rejane Verin contributed 10 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win.

The Antereaters were led by Piper's 17 and Mokun Fajemisin's 12 points.

The Highlanders face their first road test in conference play on Saturday, when they take on UC Santa Barbara at 4 pm PT.