Riverside—With three weeks remaining in the 2016-17 Big West Conference Men's Basketball regular season, the Highlanders are making their final push for an upper division finish beginning with a Thursday, February 16 meeting with Cal State Fullerton. Tip is slated for 8 pm PT as part of a Women's/Men's double header, with the Women's game getting underway at 5 pm.
UC Riverside has dropped two in a row and four of five, falling into seventh place in the conference standings at 5-6. They are a half game behind the Titans (5-5), and one game behind Hawai'i (6-5) and Long Beach State (6-5).
The Highlanders most recent decision was a 77-63 loss at UC Davis Saturday evening (
box score/
recap). Brandon Rosser recorded his third straight double digit scoring effort with 15 points in the loss, and Secean Johnson posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double. However, UC Riverside couldn't overcome 21 turnovers on the night—the most miscues for the team against a Big West opponent since the Highlanders committed 22 in a 71-66 win at Cal State Fullerton on February 7, 2015.
UCR continues to hang its hat on the defensive end of the floor where they are allowing Big West opponents to make just 38.9 percent of their shots from the field (second lowest in the league), and 33.1 percent from three-point range (third lowest)
Johnson leads the team on the offensive end, averaging 11.3 points per game. Chance Murray is also averaging double figures at 10.8 points per game, and freshman Dikymbe Martin has increased his scoring average to 9.8 points per game. In league play, Martin is averaging 11.0 points per game.
The Highlanders have also gotten increased production from the center position since the start of Big West competition. Menno Dijkstra is making 71.0 percent of his shots from the field in conference, and Alex Larsson is making 60.0 percent of his.
Cal State Fullerton has won three of its last four games to move to the .500 mark in conference. Tré Coggins leads the Titans' offense, averaging 17.6 points per game, and he also ranks fourth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.398). Leslie Lionheart (10.6) and Jackson Rowe (10.6) are the two other members of the team averaging in double figures.
Fullerton is making 45.9 percent of its shots from the field against Big West teams, which is the third highest percentage in the league. Their Achilles heal has been turnovers as the Titans commit an average of 16.5 per game in conference games—the most in the Big West by more than two turnovers per game.
The Highlanders are 22-28 all-time against the Titans, but have won five of the last six meetings between the teams. UC Riverside picked up a 71-63 victory over Cal State Fullerton on January 18 of this year (
box score/
recap).
