Box Score Santa Barbara—In the first road game of Big West conference play, the Highlanders got 66 combined points from Brittany Crain, Annelise Ito, and Rejane Verin—en route to a, 83-53, victory over UC Santa Barbara.
UCR (9-7, 2-0), who only had eight players available, opened the game with an 8-0 run over first two minutes of the game. UCSB (4-12, 1-1) battled back to end the first period tied at 20 apiece.
In the second period the Highlanders outscored the Gauchos 22-5 to take control of the game. They got eight points from each from Crain and Verin in the second.
UC Santa Barbara got a layup from Makayla Roper and made three attempts from the charity stripe for their five points. They were held scoreless over the final four and half minutes of the second frame.
At the break, UC Riverside led, 42-25. Verin had 14 points, Crain 12, and Ito 11. UC Santa Barbara was led Onome Jemerigbe's eight points and Makayla Roper's seven.
The Highlanders took advantage of 14 first half turnovers by the Gauchos, and converted them into 18 points.
Jasmine Ware scored the first bucket of the third period for the Gauchos, before UCR responded with six straight points to get the margin to 21 points, and the only thing still in doubt was the final score.
UC Riverside added to the lead in the fourth to claim their third victory in a row on the season, 83-53.
Crain poured in a season-high 33 points. The 10th time in her career scoring over 30 points.
Ito was just a rebound shy of recording back-to-back double doubles, as she had 17 points and 9 boards. Verin flirted with a triple double, tallying 16 points, seven rebounds, and a career-high tying eight assists.
Ware led three Gauchos in double figures with 14 points, followed by Jemerigbe and Je Zhe Newton, who had 10 each.
The 30 point win was the highest margin of victory on the season, and the largest over of a Big West opponent on the road in ten years (UC Irvine-1/19/2006).
The Women's Basketball Team remains on the road next week, with games at Long Beach State Wednesday, and Hawai'i on Saturday.
