Riverside—The UC Riverside Women's Basketball Team hosts Grand Canyon University November 29 at 7 pm PT in the SRC Arena.
The Tuesday night match-up is the second of the three straight at home for the Highlanders, and the final game before the team breaks for next week's final exams.
UC Riverside played in their most competitive contest of the 2016-17 campaign Friday evening, a six-point (61-55) loss to South Dakota. None of the three previous games this year were decided by less than 15 points (11/18 at Cal, 71-56).
The game was played at close range, until the Coyotes built a 13-point advantage in the third period. The Highlanders then held South Dakota scoreless for 10 minutes, and cut the lead to two at 57-55, but missed on their final five attempts down the stretch (
box score /
recap).
Réjane Vérin led UCR with 23 points in the loss. She has scored in double figures in three out of four games this year, the exception being the season opener, when she dished out a career-high 11 assists.
Vérin is fourth in the Big West at 15.5 points a game, and is joined in double figures by Simone DeCoud and Lauren Holt—who both average 11.8 points a game.
Grand Canyon University will arrive in the inland empire with a two-game winning streak in tow, after picking up a, 64-60, home victory over Idaho on Saturday.
Marina Larime leads the Lopes at 17.2 points a game, and also pulls down a team-best 7.0 boards per showing. Casey Rarrick, who knocked down six three-pointers last game, is second on the squad, pouring in 11.8 points a game.
40 of GCU's 111 made field goals have come from long distance this season. They are 0-2 on the road this season, as is UCR.
In last year's meeting in Phoenix, AZ, the Highlanders got 20-point, 10-rebound double-doubles from Vérin and departed senior Brittany Crain in an, 85-67, victory (
box score /
recap).
