RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Riverside hosted UC Santa Barbara on Saturday night at the SRC Arena, falling just short of the upset, 64-60. 

Each team traded four lead changes apiece in a seesaw first five minutes, as Jordan Webster and RyAnne Walters led the way early for UCR's offense in Saturday's contest.

Webster and Walters combined for the Highlanders' first 12 points as Webster looked to pick up her third 20-point game of the season. The junior reached 12 points at the three-minute media break on a cool 4-for-5 clip, doing all her scoring in the first half while adding two assists, four steals and a block. 

Walters, meanwhile, finished with a career-high and game-high 16 points after making three of her final four shots of the first half and adding five rebounds, six assists and a steal. 

Dry spells caught up to both offenses after the teams had established themselves in Saturday's contest, but the Highlander defense continually crashing the defensive glass and a hot 4-for-6 start from the perimeter kept momentum on UCR's side.

Anna Blount provided additional support off the bench in the bulk of the first half with five rebounds, an assist and a block in her first eight minutes. After seeing just two scorers in much of the early part of Saturday, Mele Finau and Zoe Tillery joined the scoring ledger as the Highlanders continued to keep distance between them and the Gauchos. 

UCR enjoyed high shooting marks in the third period out of halftime with a 50 percent clip, but Santa Barbara had the hot hand as well in the third with plenty of high-percentage looks to pull ahead. Julia Stenberg, though, who finished her night with eight points, dropped in a three within the two-minute mark of the third to pull UCR back to a one-possession deficit.

Finau drained a teardrop corner three with 20 seconds left to bring the Highlanders within two of Santa Barbara after the Gauchos had held UCR to a less than favorable field goal clip in the final frame, but free throws did in the upset-minded Highlanders, who were looking for a third straight win. 

UC Riverside will hit the road on Monday, January 16 for a 6:00 p.m. tipoff at Cal Poly on ESPN+.