FULLERTON, Calif. – Senior guard Michelle Curry became the first Highlander ever to score 40 points at the Division I level on Wednesday – setting a number of other records in the process – as she led No. 6 UC Riverside (11-21, 6-10) to an 86-74 Big West Tournament Quarterfinal win over No. 3 UC Irvine (18-13, 10-6).

Curry is just the fourth player ever to score 40 points at the Big West Tournament. She also set the tournament and UC Riverside single-game records for free throws made (18) and attempted (21), while taking three charges, tallying four assists and pulling down 11 rebounds for her second straight double-double.

UC Riverside's 31 free throws on 39 attempts (.794) were the third-most the Highlanders have made since 2001, coming up just one shy of the all-time Big West Tournament mark. UC Irvine was 22-of-35 (.629) from the line on the night, but made just 5-of-14 (.357) in a tightly contested fourth quarter.

Neither team was able to find much separation in the first half, but a 9-0 Anteater run early in the third gave Irvine its largest lead of the game, 58-49, with 5:49 left in the period. That's when Curry decided to take over, as she would rattle off 15 straight Highlander points to give UCR a 69-67 lead with 5:30 to go in the fourth.

Leading 73-69, the Highlanders' supporting cast would come through in the clutch, as freshmen guards Keilanei Cooper and Tianna Eaton converted a pair of contested mid-range jumpers to put UCR up 77-70 with 2:03 remaining. Senior Lauren Holt's layup with 1:10 left pushed the Highlanders' lead back up to seven, 79-72, essentially icing things.

Holt finished 8-for-17 (.471) from the field for 19 points, setting a new career-high with six assists. Eaton was selected to start for the second straight game and had another stellar performance, scoring 12 points (5-8 FG) and tying her career-high with seven rebounds.

Curry's 40-point outburst was UCR's second 30-point performance ever at the Big West Tournament. Brittany Crain previously held the Highlanders' Division I scoring records for both the Big West Tournament (38) and the regular season (39).

The Highlanders will have a day off before their Big West Semifinal matchup with No. 1 UC Davis, who they defeated 76-62 this past Saturday in Riverside.