HENDERSON, Nev. – The UC Riverside Highlanders opened the Big West Championship with a dominant defensive performance, securing a 54-40 victory over Long Beach State on Wednesday afternoon at Lee's Family Forum.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• UC Riverside and Long Beach State battled in a defensive first half, with both teams struggling from the field. The Highlanders held the Beach to just four points in the opening quarter while shooting 25% (3-for-12) themselves.
• Long Beach State managed to pull within three at halftime, but UC Riverside found its rhythm after the break. The Highlanders outscored the Beach 14-13 in the third quarter before delivering a decisive 23-point fourth quarter to pull away for the win.
• A 9-0 run midway through the final period, highlighted by three-pointers from Makayla Rose and Shelley Duchemin, pushed UCR's lead to double digits. The Highlanders finished the game shooting 57.1% in the fourth quarter and 77.3% from the free-throw line.

NOTABLES

• Makayla Rose led all scorers with 13 points while adding six assists and three steals.
• Seneca Hackley followed with 12 points, going 7-for-10 from the free-throw line.
• The Highlanders held the Beach to 25.4% shooting, including just 3-of-20 from three-point range.
• UC Riverside forced 17 turnovers and scored 11 points off those opportunities.

UP NEXT

• The Highlanders advances to the second round of the Big West Championship, as they face No. 3 seed UC Davis tomorrow, Friday, March 13^th at 2:30pm tomorrow, March 13^th.