Santa Barbara–The Highlanders look to remain unbeaten in conference play Saturday, when they take on UC Santa Barbara at 2 pm in the Big West home opener for the Gauchos inside the Thunderdome.
UC Riverside is coming off a, 68-59. home victory over Cal Poly Thursday night, when they got double-doubles from seniors Réjane Vérin and Simone DeCoud (box score / recap).
Vérin, who posted her fourth double-double of the year with 25 points and 10 rebounds, is averaging 23 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game against Big West competition. Her 17.1 points per game season average now leads the league.
Lauren Holt has scored in double figures in five straight games. She is averaging 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and a team-leading 2.0 steals a game, while making five of her 11 (45.5 percent) three-point attempts in conference play.
Point guard Simone DeCoud reached double figures for the first time in the last five games with 12 points to go with her 10 boards versus the Mustangs for her second double-double of the year. She averaged 4.5 points over the previous four games.
Michelle Curry returned to the lineup after missing the last two games, and scored eight points and pulled down six rebounds in just 16 minutes of action versus Cal Poly.
UCR's Big West regular season winning-streak now stands at 18 games. Their 20.5 assists, and 8.0 steals per game in league play are tops in the conference.
UC Santa Barbara split its two conference opening games last week on the road, falling to Cal Poly in their Big West opener, and prevailing against Cal State Fullerton, 56-49.
The Gauchos are led by Coco Miller's 11.3, and Onome Jerigbe's 9.3 points a game. Jerigbe leads the Big West in three-point field goal percentage, knocking down 45.9 percent of her attempts on the year.
Drew Edelman is the top rebounder on the squad at 6.9 per night. She had a 12 point-11 rebound double-double in UCSB's win over the Titans.
The Highlanders have won five straight meetings with the Gauchos by an average of 14.4 points, including an, 83-53, victory in last season's game in Santa Barbara.
