San Luis Obispo–The UC Riverside Women's Basketball Team heads up the California Coast in search of its second win in the season series against Cal Poly on Saturday, February 4 in a tip-off slated for 4 pm PT inside Mott Athletics Center.
The Highlanders are coming off a, 63-45, home victory over Hawai'i Thursday night, when they got double-doubles from Réjane Vérin and Skyler Lewis.
For Lewis, the 15 points and 12 boards she tallied represent new career-highs for the freshman from Grand Terrace, CA. She is shooting a team-best 52.3 percent (23-44) from the field in conference play.
Vérin, who leads the league in scoring at 16.7 points per game, poured in 15 points, and pulled down a season-high tying 14 caroms in the win against the Rainbow Wahine.
Lauren Holt (12pts) and Simone DeCoud (10pts) both scored in double figures last game. In the seven games Holt and DeCoud have scored 10 or more, the Highlanders are 5-2 (at KU and UC Davis).
Coach Margaritis' teams have been known for their offensive flow historically, but this year's team has locked opponents down defensively.
The blue and gold are holding Big West opponents to 37.1 percent shooting and allowing 56.3 points per contest–both figures rank second in the league.
UCR's 5.0 rebounding margin is also second, and was boosted by a plus 14 performance against Hawai'i Thursday, when they grabbed a season-high 53 boards.
Cal Poly was knocked off by UC Davis at home on Thursday night, 61-53. They picked up victories in their first two conference games, but have dropped five of six games since.
The Mustang offense runs through the Leaupepe twins, Dynn and Lynn, both of whom have earned Big West Player of the Week awards this season.
Lynn leads the team in scoring (17.6/g), rebounding (7.0/g), and steals (2.0/g) during conference play. Dynn checks in at 15.3 points per contest, and hands out a team-best 3.75 assists a game.
Forward Hannah Gilbert has added in 13.9 points a game during conference play, and is also second on the team in rebounding with 6.9 a game.
The Mustangs lead Big West at the line with a .748 percentage, but on the defensive end have allowed opponents to make .396 of their attempts from three-point range–the highest of any team in the league.
In the first meeting of the year, the Highlanders got double-doubles from Vérin and DeCoud, while shooting 50 percent (6-12) from three in the, 68-59, home win.
