Riverside—The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team is off to the program's best nine-game conference start in its Big West history, and the Highlanders look to continue that run this Thursday when they host Long Beach State at 7 pm PT on ESPN3.
UCR improved to 5-4 in Big West play with a 67-56 road win at Cal Poly on Saturday (bx score/recap). Freshman Dikymbe Martin continued his impressive play of late, scoring 17 points in the win. Over the past five games, the Riverside, California native is averaging 16.0 points per game, while connecting on 62 percent of his shots from the field, and 52.9 percent of his three-pointers.
Martin is one of three members of the team with a double digit scoring average in league play at 10.7 points per game. Chance Murray is averaging 12.3 points against Big West competition, and Secean Johnson chips in with 10.8 per game.
After opening the season with a 1-9 record, the Highlanders are 6-4 over their last 10 games. The resurgence began with a 76-56 victory over Grand Canyon on December 31 (
box score/
recap). During that 10-game stretch, UC Riverside is making 45.9 percent of its shots from the field, and 35.2 percent from three-point range, as compared to 36.9 percent and 30.0 percent respectively, over the first 10 games of the season.
The Highlanders' defense has played a big role in the team's turnaround as well. Over the past 10 games, UCR is holding the opposition to 37.2 percent shooting from the field and 29.2 percent from long distance as compared to 47.1 percent and 36.8 percent during the first half of the year.
Long Beach State has won four of its last five games to move into a three-way tie with UC Riverside and Hawai'i for fourth place in the Big West. The 49ers' most recent win was a 72-63 decision over second place UC Irvine.
Long Beach State's leading scorer, Evan Payne, netted a game-high 19 points in the victory over the Anteaters. His 15.3 points per game scoring average ranks fourth in the league, and teammate Justin Bibbins is 11th at 12.2 points per contest. Long Beach State's third leading scorer, Gabe Levin (12.2 ppg), is out for the season with an injury.
Three other members of the team are averaging double digits in scoring in conference play—Roschon Prince (14.9), Noah Blackwell (13.0) and Temidayo Yussef (11.7). The 49ers boast the league's top scoring offense in Big West play at 83.4 points per game. They rank second in the league in field goal percentage against conference foes (.472) and first in three-point field goal percentage (.389).
Defensively, however, they allow the most points in the league against Big West competition at 83.7 points per game. They also rank last in the conference in field goal percentage against (.470) and three-point field goal percentage against (.369).
The Highlanders are 11-37 all-time against Long Beach State, and have lost the last three meetings between the clubs including a 70-64 decision at the Walter Pyramid earlier this season (
box score/
recap).
