UC Riverside Basketball Teams Set for Big West Championships
3/10/2025 1:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
HENDERSON, Nev. – The UC Riverside men's and women's basketball teams are set to compete in the 2025 Big West Basketball Championships, presented by Credit Union 1, at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada.
The women's team will make its second appearance in the tournament under head coach Brad Langston after finishing the regular season with a 16-14 overall record and a 12-8 mark in Big West play to claim the seventh seed. The Highlanders will face No. 6 seed Long Beach State on Wednesday, March 12, at 2:30 p.m. in the first round. This will be the 53rd all-time meeting between the teams, with UCR aiming to avenge two regular-season losses. Makayla Rose led the Highlanders with 19 points in the first matchup, while Seneca Hackley paced the team with 17 points in a close battle at the Walter Pyramid.
On the men's side, UC Riverside earned the No. 3 seed after defeating Cal State Northridge and Cal State Fullerton in the final week of the regular season. With a 21-11 record, the Highlanders secured head coach Mike Magpayo's second 20+ win season and clinched a first-round bye. They will open postseason play on Thursday, March 13, at 8:30 p.m., facing the winner of the No. 6 seed UC Davis vs. No. 7 seed Cal Poly matchup. UCR split the regular-season series with both teams, setting up a highly competitive second-round showdown.
The Highlanders enter the tournament with momentum, having defeated every team in the conference at least once, including top-seeded UC San Diego and No. 2 seed UC Irvine. They also boasted one of the best home records in program history, closing out the season with a dominant 14-1 mark at the SRC Arena, including an eight-game home winning streak to close the regular season.
Both UC Riverside squads look to make deep runs in the tournament, with their sights set on the 2025 Big West Basketball Championship title and a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
To catch all the action purchase tickets at gohighlanders.com/tickets or watch the stream on ESPN+ here.
