Riverside, CA—The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team closes out the 2016 portion of its schedule this Saturday, December 31 with a 2 pm PT tip against Grand Canyon at the SRC Arena.
The Highlanders have lost seven straight games, but enjoyed one of their best statistical efforts of the season in the team's December 28 loss to Utah Valley (
box score/
recap). The Highlanders recorded their highest field goal percentage against a Division I opponent this year in the 73-64 loss to the Wolverines, and the second lowest opponent field goal percentage by one of their D-I opponents this season. Gentrey Thomas recorded his second double-double of the season in the loss, setting career highs with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Secean Johnson leads the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game, followed by Chance Murray at 10.5. Johnson is also the team's top rebounder grabbing 5.0 boards per game, while freshman Dikymbe Martin's 2.6 assists per game lead the Highlanders.
UC Riverside is averaging 63.2 points per game, and being outscored by an average of 11.7 points per game.
Grand Canyon improved to 9-5 on the year following the 'Lopes 71-64 win over Cal Poly Wednesday night. GCU has won four straight, and six of their last seven games. Three of the team's losses are to top-25 teams—#1 Duke, #14 Louisville, and #19 Arizona.
Grand Canyon guard DeWayne Russell is the nation's third leading scorer at 25.2 points per game, and also leads the team in assists at 4.6 per game. Guard Joshua Braun was averaging 14.5 points per game for the 'Lopes before missing the last six games with a knee injury. A redshirt junior, Braun has had four knee surgeries over the last five years.
In the paint, GCU has a pair of players capable of recording a double-double on any given night—Keonta Vernon (8.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Darion Clark (8.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg).
The Highlanders are 12-21 all-time against the 'Lopes, with 32 of those games coming prior to UC Riverside's move to Division I. Grand Canyon won the most recent meeting between the teams in a 71-69 decision on January 4, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona (
box score/
recap).
