2003-04 Archives

Highlanders Announce Signing of Brett Ost to NLI

(4/17/03) - (Riverside, CA) - Brett Ost , the Bay Valley Conference Player of the Year at Yuba College in 2002-03, has signed a National Letter of Intent with UC Riverside, Head Coach John Masi announced Thursday.

Ost, a native of Rocklin CA who attended Rocklin HS, is a guard who will enter UCR as a junior. Masi said he expects the 6-1, 175 pound newcomer to immediately make a run for the starting point guard position.

“We are looking for him to compete for a starting job immediately,” Masi said. “He has leadership skills, offensive skills and an outstanding assist to turnover ratio. He also has a solid shot from beyond the arc.”

Ost was the top three point shooter in the conference, hitting 31-of-55 (56.4%). He also shot 83.3% (45-of-54) from the free throw line and averaged 8.7 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

The Highlanders finished 2002-03 at 6-18 overall and 5-11 in the Big West. UCR was fourth in the conference in three-point percentage at 34.9%, fourth in three pointers made at 6.21 per game, and ninth in assist to turnover ratio at .72.

Ost is the Highlanders first announced signing of 2002-03.

Matt Benson, David Jobe Sign National Letters of Intent

(4/30/03) - (Riverside, CA) - UC Riverside Head Basketball Coach John Masi announced the signings of Matt Benson and David Jobe to National Letters of Intent Wednesday. The duo are the second and third players whose signings have been announced.

Benson is a 6-6, 205 pound swingman out from College of the Siskiyous, where he helped the Eagles to a 22-9 overall record and an 8-2 mark in the Golden Valley Athletics Conference.

The native of Chico, CA, who will enter UCR as a sophomore, was named to the all-conference team following the season. He averaged 16.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game playing at the 2, 3 and 4 spots. He shot 84% from the free throw line.

“Matt is a great kid. He fits the profile and fills our need for another wing player,” Masi said. “He attended prep school for a year before going to a JC, so there is a great deal of maturity there. Plus, we will have him for three years, so it is almost like getting a freshman.

Jobe is a 6-8 forward from Diablo Valley College. As a sophomore he averaged 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds, helping the team to a 34-3 record and a berth into the Final Eight. As a freshman he averaged 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds. Jobe drew 84 charges over his two year career at DVC. Jobe is a native of Richmond, CA and attended Salesian High School.

“David is a banger and can go get a rebound,” Masi said. “But he has good shooting touch as well. He can shoot the ball from 15-17 feet as well as play in the post. He could be a really good fit with Vili Morton out there."

Earlier in April the Highlanders announced the signing of junior point guard Brett Ost , the Bay Valley Conference Player of the Year at Yuba College in 2002-03.

Ethan Hamilton Hired as Assistant Coach
by UCR Men’s Basketball

(6/5/03) -Ethan Hamilton has been hired as an assistant men’s basketball coach at the University of California, Riverside, Head Coach John Masi announced Thursday.

“We are happy to welcome Ethan to the UCR family,” Masi said. “He brings good organizational skills and strong coaching presence.”

Hamilton joins UCR after five seasons at Azusa Pacific University, including two as the lead assistant, where he oversaw the administration of the program and coordinated the team’s recruiting efforts. Hamilton replaces Tod Murphy, who left UCR to return to his alma mater, UC Irvine, in April following the birth of his and his wife’s first child.

Hamilton is a 1997 graduate of Point Loma Nazarene, where he worked for four years as a student assistant. He has a bachelor’s degree in physical education and went on to obtain a master’s degree in education from Cal State San Bernardino in 2000.

He redshirted his freshman year after signing with PLNU out of Hesperia Christian High School, where he was a four-year member of the boys’ varsity basketball team. He then ended his playing career to begin work on his lifelong dream of coaching, and joined the staff of former Crusader coach Dan Davis.

“I am very excited to be moving to UC Riverside. I had a wonderful experience at Azusa Pacific, but almost every coach dreams of coming to the Division I level.,” Hamilton said. “I look forward to getting to know the student-athletes and to work at raising the Highlanders to the top of the Big West Conference.”

Men’s Basketball: Larry Cunningham to Join Highlanders for 2003-04 Season

(7/2/03) -Larry Cunningham, (Downey, CA/Downey HS) has signed a national letter of intent and will join the Highlander program in 2003-04, Coach John Masi announced Wednesday.

Cunningham was a second-team all-CIF selection in Division 1-AA as a junior, where he averaged 19 points and eight rebounds as a shooting guard last season.

“Larry is an outstanding player and has the ability to play both guard positions. We see him as a two guard, though he can certainly handle the ball,” Masi said.

Highlanders Place Two on Preseason All-Conference Team, Picked to Finish Fifth, Seventh at Big West Media Day

(11/5/03) -The UC Riverside Highlanders were the only team to have two players selected to the Big West Preseason All-Conference Team, but that wasn't enough to get them the respect of the coaches and media, who selected the team to finish seventh and fifth, respectively, at the Big West Media Day Wednesday in Irvine.

The preseason all-conference team, selected by the media, honored redshirt junior forward Vili Morton and sophomore forward Nate Carter with selections. Rounding out the team were Varnie Dennis of Cal Poly, Branduinn Fullove of UCSB, Ian Boylan of CS Northridge and Adam Parada of UCI.

In the media poll, the Highlanders were picked to finish fifth overall with 132 points. UC Santa Barbara was the overwhelming favorite to finish first, pulling in 22 first place votes. Utah State was second, pulling in four first place votes and UC Irvine was third with three first place votes. Cal Poly rounded out the top four.

The top four were identical in the coaches poll, with UCSB receiving six first place votes, Utah State three and UC Irvine one. Cal Poly was again selected fourth, followed by Idaho, Pacific and UCR. The Highlanders were one point behind the Tigers.

"I thought we would be selected fifth, sixth or seventh, so that isn't a surprise," UCR Head Coach John masi said. "I feel that is an improvement, though maybe not as high as we might hope. We have to earn it, on the court. We have a lot to play for and hopefully prove that we warrant the respect that the media gave us. If we finish lower than that we will be disappointed."

Masi was pleased with the selection of Morton and Carter, but warned that the selections wouldn't matter when the team hit the floor.

"(Their selections) is probably to be expected with them both being being all-conferece honorees. They are the recognizable names on our roster, but our success will be based upon how far we can go with the other players on the team. Nate and Vili will be targeted because people know what they can do. We will go as far as the other players on our squad take us," Masi said.

UCR opens its season tonight with an exhibition game against the EA Sports All-Stars at 7:00 PM in the UCR Student Recreation Center.

Highlanders Defeat EA Sports 86-79

(11/5/03) -The UC Riverside Highlanders opened the exhibition season on a high note Wednesday, defeating the EA Sports All Stars 86-79 in an exhibition game in front of 500 fans at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside.

Sophomore forward Nate Carter led the Highlander attack with a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds.Senior forward Kevin Butler added 13 points and senior guard Mark Peters had 12. Nine Highlanders played at least 15 minutes in the game, including junior forward David Jobe, who had six points and seven rebounds before leaving the game in the second half with a thumb injury.

For the visitors, Cal State Northridge alum Greg Minor had 20 points and Nate Green added 18.

The game was full of contrasts, as the All-Stars shot just 26.7% in the first quarter (8-of-30), but 71.0% in the second (22-of-31), finishing at 49.2% for the game. UCR was slightly more consistent, but shot 42.0% overall. However, they hit 13-of-22 (59.1%)of their three point attempts, including three treys each by Butler and junior Rickey Porter, who finished with nine points.

The Highlanders started the game on a hot streak, leaping out to a 28-9 lead in the first 11 minutes. The All-Stars began to chip away, but still trailed by 13 at 41-28 at the intermission.

In the second half the Highlanders again built the lead up, this time to a high of 18 at 60-42 with 13:30 remaining. But the All-Stars showed veteran savvy and didn’t give up, cutting the margin to eight at 60-52 with 11:37 remaining. The All-Stars had a 10-0 run in the to cut the lead to two at 79-77, but UCR hit seven straight free throws over the last 1:19 to clinch the victory.

“I was pleased with the game overall. We played really well in the first half, but we let them get back into it late in the game. That is something that we did a lot last year and something we will have to work on,” Head Coach John Masi said. “But you have to give them credit. (EA Sports) was a veteran squad and they played well.”

UCR junior forward Vili Morton did not play in the game due to soreness in his foot.

Highlanders Hit Century Mark in Exhibition Win Over Delta Jammers

(11/13/03) -Five Highlanders scored in double figures and the UC Riverside Highlanders overcame an early deficit to post a 100-79 win over the Delta Jammers in an exhibition game at the Student Rec. Center Thursday.

Sophomore Nate Carter had a game-high 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting to pace the home team. Junior Rickey Porter came off the bench to score 20 points in just 20 minutes of play, connecting on 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 from the three point line. Sophomore Matt Benson had 17 points, including four three pointers, senior Kevin Butler had 11 points and sophomore forward Klaus Schille had 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds.

For the Jammers, Maurice Brown had a team high 16 points and seven rebounds.

The Jammers started off strongly, building an 12-point lead at 20-8 with 13:15 remaining in the first half. But UCR went on a 13-0 run over the next 3:09 to take the lead at 21-20 on a layup by Schille. The Jammers again rallied the lead to five on back-to-back buckets by Sante Gayle, who finished with 16 points, but the Highlanders came back again with an 8-0 run on threes by Benson and Mark Peters and a layup by Porter. The teams exchanged leads over the next few possessions, but the Highlanders finished the period with another 8-0 run, the only flaw in the two minute stretch being a buzzer-beating leaner by Lee Bethea to make the score 41-36 at the intermission.

The second half was all Highlanders, as the home squad quickly built the lead to double figures at 49-38, then withstood a brief rally that cut the lead to 51-45 before blowing the game wide open. In the waining moments of the game, Masi called on his three walk-ons, senior James Guth, sophomore Dedrick Bates and junior Mike Ferrera, much to the delight of the crowd. Ferrera, who was seriously injured in an off-season car accident that killed teammate Kellen Dixon, scored the 100th point on a pretty layup with 15 seconds remaining.

UCR shot 51.4% on the game (36-of-70) and 43.3% from the three point line (13-of-30). UCR was without junior forward Vili Morton (foot), junior forward David Jobe (thumb) and freshman guard Larry Cunningham (probable redshirt).

The Highlanders open their regular season on November 21 at Loyola Marymount University.

Highlanders Fall in Opener at LMU

(11/21/03) - The Loyola Marymount Lions got a game-high 15 points from forward Sherman Gay and held off a UC Riverside rally for a 59-53 win at the Gersten Pavilion at LMU Saturday.

The Highlanders got 14 points from senior forward Kevin Butler and 11 from sophomore forward Nate Carter, but struggled to find their offensive rhythm throughout the game. They also struggled from the free throw line, shooting 7-of-15 (46.7%), missing several critical shots down the stretch. UCR shot just 2-of-13 from beyond the arc, making their first and last tries, but missing 11 in between.

After trailing by double-digits in the first half, the Highlanders made it close in the final minutes. Carter's layup at 1:36 made it 51-48, but the sophomore could not convert the free throw after being fouled by Gay. LMU outscored the Highlanders 8-5 down the stretch to seal the victory.

The Lions took a 34-23 lead into the intermission behind 10 points from Gay and seven from Jason Dickens. The opening minutes of the game were a track meet, as the teams traded baskets with UCR taking an 11-10 lead on a layup by Carter with 16:44 remaining. But the Lions went on a 11-0 run to jump out to a 21-11 lead with 11:45 remaining. UCR cut the lead to 28-21 with 6:53 remaining, but did not have a field goal the rest of the way, getting only a pair of Carter free throws to reach 23.

Junior forward Vili Morton made his first appearance of the season, coming in off the bench at the 15:36 mark. He scored four points and had nine rebounds and two blocks in the game.

The Highlanders travel to the University of Washington on November 24.

Huskies Run Away From Highlanders, 91-78

(11/24/03) - The University of Washington overcame a five-point UC Riverside lead and cruised to a 91-78 win at the Bank of America Arena at Seattle Monday.

The Highlanders fell to 0-2 on the season, while Washington moved to 2-0.

UW's Brandon Roy led all players with 22 points and Hakeem Rollins added 12. UCR's Kevin Butler had a season-high 20 points, 16 in the first half, and sophomore forward Nate Carter had 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting. UCR shot 29-of-67 (43%) from the field, compared to the Huskies 35-of-62 (56%). UCR improved their three point performance from their opening game, nailing 10 treys in 25 attempts (40%), compared to their 2-of-13 performance against LMU Friday. The Huskies won the battle of the boards, 44-22.

Washington built a five point lead in the opening minutes of the break, but UCR came back to take a 48-43 advantage on a three by Brett Ost, who had five points, a jumper by Carter and a jumper by Butler with 16:44 remaining.

However, UW turned on a full court press that allowed them to roar back to take a 58-50 lead with 15-2 run with 11:13 remaining. But they weren't finished, The lead built up to a high of 21 at 75-54 on a jumper by Hakeem Rollins with 6:48 remaining. UCR cut the lead to 11 in the final minute, but it was too little, too late.

The Huskies took a 40-36 lead into the intermission despite 16 points by Butler, who was 6-of-9 from the field with a pair of threes in the half. However, the rest of the Highlanders' team was just 7-of-26 from the field in the half.

The Highlanders travel to Arizona State University on November 29.

Sun Devils Defeat Highlanders

(11/29/03) - The Arizona State Sun Devils overcame a six-point halftime deficit to come-back and defeat the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders 77-68, at the Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe Saturday.

For the second consecutive game the Highlanders held the lead early in the second half, but could not put the game away, dropping to 0-3 this season. ASU moved to 3-0.

UCR was led by 19 points by junior forward Vili Morton, who also had a season-high tying nine rebounds and a career-high tying five assists. Sophomore forward Nate Carter had 18 points and senior forward Kevin Butler had 11.

ASU was led by Ike Diagu's 31 point effort. Wilfried Fameni had 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Sun Devils trailed by six at the start of the second half, but outscored UCR by 14 in the opening minutes to take a 53-45 lead with 11:46 remaining. UCR didn't give up, jumping back and cutting the lead to 56-55 behind back-to-back threes by sophomore forward Matt Benson.

However ASU went on a 8-0 run to take a 64-55 lead before Carter broke the streak with a pair of free throws with 5:15 remaining. With most of their post players in foul trouble, the Highlanders could not chip their way back into the game.

The Highlanders took a 37-31 lead into the intermission behind 12 points, six rebounds and four assists by Morton. Morton gave UCR the lead at 28-27 with 5:34 remaining with a spectacular put-back dunk off a Butler miss. UCR outscored ASU 9-4 over the final seven minutes to take the six point advantage into the break.

The Highlanders return to action on Wednesday as they face UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.

UCR Drops 84-70 Loss at UCLA

BOX SCORE

(12/03/03) - UC Riverside trailed by just one point heading into half time, but could not stop the UCLA offense in Wednesday's 84-70 loss at Pauley Pavillion.

The Bruins (2-0) were led by guard Brian Morrison, who lit it up in the second half with 20 points, including four three-point baskets in the frame, finishing the game with 28 points. Morrison was one of UCLA players scoring in double figures.

"(Brian) Morrison was the difference, making all of the three-point shots and the size differential was a major factor against us," said UCR Head Coach John Masi. "Rickey Porter and Vlli Morton did a good job offensively for us, defensively we must step up."

UCR's Morton scored a career-best 22 points in the loss going 10-for-13 from the field, but was able to snare just four rebounds. Nate Carter finished with 16 points and four rebounds and Porter finished with 11.

UCLA's seven-footers, Ryan Hollins and Michael Fey, pushed the UCR defense. The pair combined for 13 rebounds, 16 points and three blocked shots. Williams had seven boards and six points and Fey had six boards and 10 points. Dijon Thompson had 18 points and Cedric Bozeman had 17.

Defensively, the Highlanders were outrebounded, 38-24, by the Bruins with UCLA grabbing 26 defensive boards.

The Highlanders took an early 7-2 lead, before the Bruins offense got rolling scoring eight unanswered points to take lead and hold it for the rest of the half.

Twice in the frame, UCR trailed by as much as six points, but the team was able to fight back, trailing by just one point, 36-35, heading into the intermission.

The Highlanders had the opportunity to take the lead into the break. After a UCLA turnover out of bounds with just over eight seconds on the clock, UCR inbounded the ball and was able to get it to Nate Carter who took a last-second shot from beyond the three-point arc that just missed as the buzzer sounded.

The Highlanders open the 2003-04 home schedule against Northern Arizona as part of a three-game home stand, on Monday, December 15 at the Student Recreation Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PST.

UCR Gets First Win, Beat NAU 72-69 in OT

(12/15/03) - The UC Riverside Highlanders earned their first win of the 2003 season with a hard-fought 72-69 overtime win over Northern Arizona University at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Monday.

UCR moved to 1-4 on the season and NAU fell to 3-5.

UCR sophomore forward Nate Carter led UCR with 17 points and sophomore guard Matt Benson had a season-high 16 points. NAU's Aaron Bond led all scorers with 20 points and Adrian Hayes had 16.

UCR put together a great defensive effort, holding NAU's leading scorer Kelly Golob scoreless. He averaged 13.8 ppg coming into the game, but fouled out after playing just 18 minutes.

The teams were tied at 28-28 after 20 minutes and 57-57 at the end of regulation. UCR used a 9-0 run keyed by a trey by Nate Carter, Vili Morton's second basket of the game, and a pair of free throws by senior guard Mark Peters and Morton.

Morton was scoreless in regulation, as he faced several double and triple teams, but scored six points in overtime.

UCR outrebounded NAU 40-39, despite trailing by 10 at one point in the first half.

Peters free throws, coming with 54 seconds left, came after he went high to pull down a rebound of a missed trey by Kelly Golob. Peters had a career-high seven boards, tying for the team high with Morton.

The Lumberjacks made it close, cutting it to two on a layup by Kyle Feruerbach with seven seconds left, but Matt Benson drained a free throw to make the margin three with four seconds left. Feruerbach's trey attempt at the buzzer was short.

The Highlanders return to action on Saturday, December 20th against Southern Oregon. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PST.

Highlanders Trounce Southern Oregon, 108-57

(12/20/03) - The UC Riverside Highlanders cruised to a 51-point victory over the visiting Southern Oregon University Raiders, defeating the NAIA school 108-57 at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Saturday.

UCR moved to 2-4 on the season and Southern Oregon fell to 6-9.

UCR's Nate Carter led six Highlanders in double figures with a season-high tying 18 points and a game-high seven rebounds. Senior forward Kevin Butler had 16 points, junior guard Rickey Porter had 14 points, hitting a game-high four three pointers, senior guards Mark Peters and Ted Bell each had 13 points and junior forward Vili Morton had 12 points.

Jared Abell led the Raiders with 16 points.

Southern Oregon led 9-8 on a three pointer by Abell at 16:55, but the Highlanders got a three by Porter to make the score 11-9 and never looked back. The lead went to seven at 16-9, then grew to double-digits at 26-17 at 10:48 on a jumper by Morton. UCR took a 53-28 advantage into the intermission.

The second half was more of the same as UCR outscored the Raiders 55-29. The highlight of the second half came when Coach John Masi cleared his bench, sending in senior James Guth, sophomore guard Dedrick Bates and junior forward Mike Ferrera. Bates and Ferrera both scored, while Guth recorded a block that brought the crowd to it's feet.

The win marked the most points for a UCR team since they defeated San Francisco State 108-69 on 2/12/00. It was the first 100-point game since December 27, 2001 when the Highlanders beat Sacramento State 100-66. The 51-point margin of victory tied for the seventh highest total of all time, while the team's 14 three pointers were a season-high.

The Highlanders return to action on Monday, December 22nd against St. Mary's. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PST.

UCR Wins Third in a Row, Defeating St. Mary's 83-71

(12/22/03) - It will be a Merry Christmas week for the UC Riverside Highlanders.

The Highlanders won their third straight game, defeating the visiting St. Mary's Gaels 83-71 in front of 1,384 fans at the Student Recreation Center Monday.

UCR moved to 3-4 on the season and St. Mary's fell to 6-5.

Sophomore forward Nate Carter had a season and game-high 21 points and a season-high eight rebounds and senior forward Kevin Butler added 19 points including 9-of-10 from the free throw line as UCR shot 54.0% (27-of-50) from the field on the evening. Junior forward Vili Morton had 15 points, including 7-of-8 from the free throw line, despite suffering a mild concussion when he was elbowed in the head in the second half.

Guard EJ Rowland led the Gaels with 18 points, Frederic Adjiwanou had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds and Daniel Kickert added 10 points.

UCR owned a five-point lead at the intermission at 40-35, but quickly built the advantage to double figures, taking a 52-41 lead with 13:30 left on a jumper by Mark Peters. The lead stayed in the 11 to 14 point range through most of the second half, getting to a high of 17 at 78-61 on a free throw by Carter with 3:17 left.

The Highlanders got solid play from their bench. Senior guard Mark Peters had six points and three assists, sophomore Matt Benson had six, sophomore forward Klaus Schille had four points - a back-to-back layup and put-back dunk that pushed the Highlanders' lead to 14 at 11:41, two points from David Jobe and eight points from Ted Bell.

UCR was outrebounded 34-26, but forced the Gaels into 16 turnovers on the evening. The Highlanders shot 80.6% (25-of-31) from the free throw line, their second best percentage of the season. UCR's 31 free throw attempts and 25 makes were both season highs.

The Highlanders return to action on Monday, December 29th at Sacramento State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PST.

UCR Loses to Hornets, 66-55

(12/29/03) - The Sacramento State Hornets moved to 4-1 against Big West Conference opponents this season with a 66-55 win over the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders at the Hornets' Nest in Sacramento Monday.

UCR (3-4) struggled with poor shooting, hitting just 38.6% on the evening. Junior guard Rickey Porter led the Highlanders with 13 points, but none of UCR's top three scorers reached double-digits. Nate Carter had just eight points and five rebounds, Vili Morton had nine points and six rebounds after not scoring in the first half, and Kevin Butler had six points. Junior David Jobe had his best game of the season, scoring nine points in just 14 minutes of play.

For the Hornets (6-6), Joseth Dawson had a game-high 15 points. Four Hornets scored in double figures as the teams shot 43.1% from the field.

UCR was outrebounded by the Hornets, 40-33.

Morton was 0-for-3 from the field in the first half and looked a little rusty after having not practiced due to a slight concussion suffered in last week's win over St. Mary's. He rallied in the second half, scoring nine points.

The Highlanders trailed at the intermission 32-27 as the Hornets got nine points from Chris Lange, who finished with 11.

The Highlanders kick off the Big West Campaign on Saturday, January 3, 2004 as they host the University of the Pacific. UCR will then host Cal State Northridge on Monday, January 5th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PST.

UCR Falls to UOP in Big West Opener

(1/3/03) - The visiting University of the Pacific defeated the host UC Riverside Highlanders 79-53 in front of 1882 fans at the Student Recreation Center Saturday.

UCR moved to 3-6, 0-1 on the season and UOP moved to 6-6, 1-0.

Sophomore forward Christian Maraker led all scorers with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. He also had a team-high seven rebounds. Jasko Korajkic had 14 points and Tom Cockle had 11, including six free throws on eight attemtps. The Tigers shot 65.0% on the evening (26-of-40).

Senior guard Kevin Butler led the Highlanders with 17 points and junior center Vili Morton had 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes of play. UCR shot 40.4% on the night (23-of-57).

UCR led for one brief moment in the second half as Ted Bell's jumper gave the Highlanders a 33-31 lead, but the Tigers scored the next six points to take a lead they would never relinquish, eventually building it to 10 points at 54-55 on a dunk by Korajkic at the 10 minute mark

The teams were tied at 31-31 at intermission, as the Highlanders scored the final five points of the half on a three pointer by Kevin Butler and a game tying layup by Vili Morton off a pass by Mark Peters with just three seconds remaining.

The Highlanders were without starting point sophomore guard Brett Ost and junior forward Jeff Mailhot, who each missed the game with a concussion. Sophomore forward Nate Carter did not start (coach's decision) and had seven points.

The start of the game was delayed approximately an hour when the baskets were found to be an inch too low prior to game time and had to be shimmed into proper position.

The Highlanders return to action on Monday, January 5th as they host Cal State Northridge. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PST.

Highlanders Hold on to Get First Big West Win, 78-70 Over CSN

(1/5/04) - The UC Riverside Highlanders held off a late rally and held on to win their first Big West game of the year, defeating the visiting Cal State Northridge Matadors, 78-70 in front of 962 fans at the Student Recreation Center Monday.

UCR moved to 4-6, 1-1 on the season and CSN moved to 5-5, 1-1.

Senior guard Ted Bell had a season-high 19 points, hitting 6-of-10 from the field and 4-of-8 from the three point line. Sophomore forward Nate Carter had 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds, senior forward Kevin Butler had 10 points and junior forward VIli Morton had 10 points and six rebounds, despite being in foul trouble and only playing 20 minutes.

For the Matadors, Eto Onyenegachea scored 20 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, shooting 10-of-17 from the field. Joseph Frazier had 18 points and Ian Boylan 16.

The Matadors trailed by 18 at 67-49 on a layup by Vili Morton with 5:37 remaining, but put together a late run that made Highlander fans sweat. Utilizing a pressing and trapping defense, which forced the Highlanders into a season-high 20 turnovers, they cut the lead to 69-58 at 2:45, then to just six at 73-67 on a trey by Ian Boylan with 38 seconds remaining. But UCR got free throws by Carter and senior guard Mark Peters and a last-second layup by Bell to make the final margin eight.

The Highlanders used a 22-2 run in the first half to turn an early 12-7 deficit at 13:07 into a 29-14 lead at 4:36. Sophomore guard Matt Benson keyed the run with three consecutive three pointers that gave UCR an 18-12 lead.

The Highlanders, whose defensive commitment was questioned by Coach John Masi following Saturday's loss to Pacific, turned in an outstanding performance in the first half, holding the Matadors to 7-of-26 shooting (26.9%) and outrebounding them, 21-14. Overall, Northridge shot 38.7% (24-of-62) and the Highlanders won the battle of the boards, 38-35.

The Highlanders return to action on Saturday, January 10th as they host Cal State Fullerton. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PST.

Highlanders Bounce Back to Defeat Titans, 64-60

(1/10/04) - The UC Riverside Highlanders overcame a 13-point second half deficit to defeat the visiting Cal State Fullerton Titans 64-60 in a Big West match-up in front of 1342 spirited fans at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Saturday.

UCR moved to 5-6, 2-1 on the season and CSN moved to 4-8, 0-3.

Sophomore guard Nate Carter had the Highlanders' first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds in 37 minutes of play. Senior guard Kevin Butler had 14 points, all coming in the second half, and senior guard Mark Peters had 13.

For Fullerton, senior forward Pape Sow had a double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds, the latter tying a career high. Freshman guard Bobby Brown had 12 points for the Titans.

The Titans opened the second half by scoring five points to build their lead to 13 points at 39-26, the biggest lead of the night. But UCR then got busy, outscoring CSF 15-2 to tie the game at 41-41 with 13:24 remaining. The Highlanders' outside shooting keyed the run, as Matt Benson drained a pair of treys and Carter and Butler each hit one.

The game was nip and tuck from there as the teams battled back and forth through eight ties and five lead changes before UCR took the lead for good at 60-58 on a layup by Rickey Porter with 1:46 remaining. Porter iced the game a few moments later, sinking a free throw with six seconds remaining to make the final 64-60.

UCR jumped out to an early 9-4 lead at 16:14, but the Titans went on a 15-2 run over the next 5:50 to take a 19-11 lead. In the run UCR turned the ball over five times and missed three shots. CSF built the lead to as many as 12 in the first half, the last time at 32-20 at 2:44, but the Highlanders outscored the Titans 6-2 over the final two minutes to bring the deficit to 34-26 entering the intermission

UCR outshot the Titans, 41.0% to 40.3% and forced them into 18 turnovers, compared to 12 for UCR..

The loss marked the fourth straight game that the Titans had a lead in the second half, only to lose it.

The Highlanders return to action on Thursday, January 15th make their first Big West road appearance at UC Irvine.

Highlanders Lose Heartbreaker to Anteaters, 66-65

(1/15/04) - The UC Riverside Highlanders dropped a heartbreaking 66-65 decision to the host UC Irvine Anteaters in a Big West match-up at the Bren Center in Irvine Thursday.

UCR fell to 5-7, 2-2 on the season and UCI 8-6, 3-2. Nate Carter led UCR with 16 points and 8 rebounds. Stanislav Zuzak had a game-high 21 points for UCI. UCR is now 0-6 on the road this season.

Mike Efevberha's leaning three pointer with 2.8 seconds left gave the Anteaters the lead. UC Riverside's Kevin Butler's runner at the buzzer missed, sending the Irvine crowd into a frenzy.

The loss overshadowed and outstanding comeback in which UCR overcame a 10-point halftime deficit.

The Highlanders had taken a 64-62 lead when Kevin Butler stole the ball in the backcourt from Aras Baskuskas and layed it in for a 64-62 lead. Parada hit 1-of-2 free throws on his next possession, giving the Highlanders a 64-63 advantage. The Highlanders inbounded the ball and Butler was fouled with 12.1 left, but only hit 1-of-2 shots, giving UCR a 65-63 lead and setting the stage for Efevberha's heroics.

The Highlanders took the lead for the first time at 48-47 with 10:01 remaining on a pair of free throws by Butler. The teams traded leads several times as the half concluded.

The Highlanders opened the second half on a 9-2 run. Porter opened the half with a pair of free throws and a trey, then Carter ignighted the Highlanders by blowing past Zuzak for a lefthanded dunk to make the score 35-30. Moments later Morton putback a Highlander miss to make the lead 35-32.

UCI built up an 11-point margin at 24-13 with 9:42 remaining as the Anteaters hit each of their first three trey attempts, while the Highlanders went 1-for-9, but the Highlanders rallied to cut the margin to 27-21 at 6:08 on a layup by Mark Peters. However the Highlanders went ice cold, scoring just one basket in the final six minutes. UCI wasn't much better, scoring just four points in the final four minutes, but it was enough to give them a 33-23 advantage at the intermission.

In the half the Highlanders were just 1-of-13 (7.7%) from beyond the arc and 10-of-31 (32.3%) overall. UCI was 11-of-23 overall and 3-of-7 from the field, missing four straight after getting off to a 3-for-3 start.

Morton's block of Parada at the 17 minute mark was his 132nd of his career, breaking the school record he co-held with Tim Bell.

The Highlanders return to action on Saturday, January 17th at Long Beach State.

Highlanders Get First Road Win, 73-61 Over 49ers

(1/17/04) - The UC Riverside Highlanders broke a season-long road losing streak with a 73-61 win over the host LBSU 49ers in a Big West match-up at the Pyramid in Long Beach in Saturday.

UCR 6-7, 3-2 on the season and LBSU 4-11, 2-4. UCR's win was the first on the road against six losses.

UCR was led by a sophomore forward Nate Carter's second double-double of the year, a 15-point, 13-rebound effort. The 13 boards tied a career high and all 15 of his points came in the second half. Junior guard Rickey Porter had 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a season-high tying four threes. had a double-double, his second of the season, career high 13 rebounds. Junior forward Vili Morton had 10 points, all coming in the first half. The Highlanders shot 25-of-55 (45.5%) from the field and hit eight threes.

LBSU's Louis Darby led all scorers with 20 points, shooting 6-of-8 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. LBSU shot just 36.4% on the night, but dominated the boards, winning that stat 41-29.

The Highlanders built a 32-27 halftime lead into a 46-36 lead with 13:59 remaining, but LBSU had an 8-0 run over the next two minutes to cut the margin to two at 46-44. Carter took the momentum back with a layup that keyed a 9-3 run to extend UCR's lead to 57-47. UCR would score 11 of their next 13 points on free throws over the next three minutes and kept the lead in double figures, despite a valiant effort by Darby, who scored 12 of his points in the final 5:54.

The Highlanders owned a 32-27 lead at the intermission behind 10 points from Morton and six from Porter. Both Kevin Butler and Carter were scoreless in the half, though Carter had six rebounds. UCR shot 43.3%, but was just 4-of-14 from beyond the arc and made just 2-of-5 free throws, including a pair of misses by Matt Benson following an intentional foul and Butler's miss on the front end of a one-and-one.

The Highlanders return to action on Thursday, January 22nd as they host Idaho.

Highlanders Fall to Idaho in OT

(1/22/04) - The University of Idaho feels right at home at Riverside.

The visiting Vandals defeated the host UC Riverside Highlanders 63-57 in overtime Thursday, their third win in three years at the Student Recreation Center. The win moved the Vandals to 5-10 overall and 2-4 in the Big West. UCR fell to 6-8 overall and 3-3 in conference.

Idaho's Tyrone Hayes scored a game high 23 points and added seven rebounds. Nate Carter led the Highlanders with 19 points and 10 rebounds, his third double-double of the season. Vili Morton had 18 points and eight rebounds.

The Highlanders struggled from the field, shooting just 19-of-62 (30.6%) on the night. They were 3-of-22 from the three point line.

UCR trailed by as many as eight in the second half before rallying to take the lead at 47-46 on a layup by Vili Morton at 3:47. The teams were tied at 51-51 with 30 seconds left with Hayes at the line for a two-shot foul, but he missed both ends. The Highlanders' Carter got the rebound and UCR called time out to set up a final play. However, Morton's 10 foot jumper from the baseline with 2 seconds left missed long and the game went into overtime.

Idaho jumped out to a six point lead in the extra frame, then held on as UCR cut it to three with 32 seconds left.

The Highlanders return to action on Thursday, January 24th as they host Utah State.

Aggies Come Back to Beat UCR, 62-58

(1/24/04) - The UC Riverside Highlanders led early, but the visiting Utah State Aggies stayed perfect in the Big West with a 62-58 win at the Student Recreation Center Saturday.

The win moved the Aggies to 15-1 overall and 7-0 in the Big West. UCR fell to 6-9 overall and 3-4 in conference. The attendance was a season-high 2,493, buoyed by a large Homecoming crowd.

Nate Harris led the Aggies with a game-high 25 points and added nine rebounds. He was the only player to score in double-digits for the Aggies. For UCR, Nate Carter had 16 points and nine rebounds and Vili Morton had 14 points and four rebounds. The Aggies outrebounded UCR, 35-28.

And it was a clutch rebound that did the Highlanders in. UCR led 58-57 with 2:02 remaining, but a layup by Harris at 1:16 gave the Aggies the lead at 59-58. Guard Mark Peters' jumper was short with 30 seconds left and the Highlanders were forced to foul Brown to stop the clock. Brown missed the first of a 1-plus-1, but the Aggies got the rebound and Cardell Butler was fouled. with 12.3 seconds left. He hit both ends for a 61-58 lead.

The Highlanders had one last chance, but never got a shot off as Brett Ost's pass was picked by Brown, who was fouled by Carter. He hit one of two to give the Aggies the final margin of victory.

The teams were tied at 10-10 with 13:24 remaining in the first half, but UCR used a 15-6 run to build the lead to nine at 25-16 with 5:45 remaining. But the Aggies responded with a run of their own to close out the half, outscoring UCR 12-2 to take a 28-27 lead into the intermission.

UCR next plays at UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, January 29th.

Gauchos Defeat Highlanders, 66-52

(1/29/04) - The host UC Santa Barbara Gauchos defeated the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders, 66-52 at the Thunderdome in Goleta Thursday.

With the loss, UCR fell to 6-10 and 3-4 in the Big West. UCSB moved to 11-6, 5-3. The Gauchos were led by Brandon Fullove's 19 points. Senior Kevin Butler had 13 points and Nate Carter 12 in a losing effort. The Gauchos owned the boards, 45-19.

Things started off poorly for the Highlanders, who allowed the Gauchos to jump out to an 11-0 lead to open the game. However, UCR scored the next nine points, sparked in part by Kevin Butler's defensive play, which included a steal and a block of Nick Jones that led to fast break layups.

The half stayed close, with the Highlanders getting within three points several times, and entered halftime trailing 29-26. The key to the half was rebounding, as the Gauchos dominated, 22-11.

The Gauchos opened the second half with a 17-5 run that helped them jump out to a 46-31 lead. UCSB continued to pound the ball inside and dominated in rebounding. UCR went through a 5:10 span without scoring, but hit a trio of threes lated to cut the final margin to 66-52.

UCR next plays at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on Saturday, January 31st.

Cal Poly Defeats UCR, 84-70

BOX SCORE

(1/31/04) - The Cal Poly Mustangs defeated the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders, 84-70 at Mott Gymnasium in San Luis Obispo Saturday. UCR fell to 6-11 and 3-5 in the Big West while Cal Poly moved to 8-9, 3-6.

Senior guard Mark Peters scored a career-high 20 points, nailing three treys and nine-of-10 from the free throw line. Sophomore forward Nate Carter added 17 points and seven rebounds and senior guard Kevin Butler had 16 points. For the Mustangs, Varnie Dennis ahd a game-high 22 points and Shane Schilling had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. He also added five assists.

The Mustangs shot 57.4% on the evening (31-for-54) and five of nine from the three point line. UCR shot 21-of-53 (39.6%), but won the battle of the boards, 31-29. UCR committed 17 turnovers, their second highest total of the season.

The game was close for the first 10 minutes as the Highlanders scored their first 15 points on three pointers and held a 17-14 lead on a pair of Ted Bell free throws with 11:07 remaining. But the Mustangs finished the half on a 26-9 run, including a 13-0 streak in which UCR over a span of 5:10 (8:27 - two pointer by Nate Carter and 3:17 - Mark Peters free throw.).

The Mustangs opened the second half with a 9-2 run that built the lead to 49-28 at 16:40. That lead grew to 20 and it looked like a long evening for the Highlanders. But UCR didn't quit and began fighting back, cutting the deficit to eight on two occassions, the last time at 65-57 with 5:45 remaining on a jumper by Peters. However, the Mustangs pulled away for a 14 point victory.

UCR next plays at Fullerton on Saturday, February 7th at 7:00 PM.

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