RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The University of California, Riverside Athletics Department announced today its 2018-19 Women's Basketball schedule.

The Highlanders will face a big test on the hardwood, traveling to Los Angeles on Nov. 6 to play USC in their first game of the season. After that, the team will continue non-conference play at BYU on Nov. 9 and Oklahoma State on Nov. 11.

"We are looking forward to our 2018-19 season," said Head Coach, John Margaritis. "We have a good group of student-athletes who are working hard to improve every day to meet the rigors of our schedule including the tough competition in the Big West."

UCR will host two non-conference games at home in the SRC Arena on the campus of UC Riverside on Nov. 15 at 7:00 p.m. and Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. against Southern Utah and Coastal Carolina, respectively.

The team will compete in two early season holiday tournaments, the Hilton Concord Classic in Moraga, CA from Nov. 23-24 against Oregon and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the Maui Classic from Dec. 14-15 against Texas A&M and Eastern Washington.

In between those two tournaments, the Highlanders will play crosstown rival California Baptist University on Dec. 6 at CBU.

Following the final four non-conference games, the Highlanders begin conference play against UC Davis at home in the SRC Arena at 5 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2019, before two more home games against Long Beach State University (Jan. 10) and UC Irvine (Jan. 17). The team will end the month of January on the road with three matchups against Cal State Northridge (Jan. 19), Long Beach State (Jan. 24) and Hawai'i (Jan. 30).

The first two games in February will see the Highlanders return home to take on UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 2) and Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 7). The team will round out the month at home with games against Cal Poly on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. and Cal State Northridge (CSUN) on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.

With one senior on the roster in Malou De Kergret, the Highlanders will rely on four true freshmen. She, along with freshman Daphne Gnago, will be this season's team captains.

Look for redshirt junior Jannon Otto and sophomore Tianna Eaton to help lead the way. Otto and Eaton played more minutes near the end of last season and into the Big West Tournament. Skyler Lewis and Marina Ewodo, who started every conference game last season, will hold down the middle.

"We will miss the people who carried us last season, but I believe we have student athletes who can step up," Margaritis said. "I'm hoping with the schedule we have that it will make us better."

The team's final home game will be at 7 p.m. on March 7 vs. Hawai'i, before finishing out conference play on the road at Cal State Fullerton on March 9.

The Big West Conference Tournament begins at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on March 14.

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