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(May 3, 2005) - Chris Johnson
of LA Jordan High School and Joey Knox of Westchester High
School have become the first two recruits to sign letters
of intent to join the UC Riverside Highlander men's basketball
program, Coach David Spencer announced.
"I am excited about
these two prospects and I think that four years from now we
will look back at what they will have accomplished with pride.
They are both accustomed to winning and they understand the
hard work and sacrifice that goes into making winning a daily
habit," Spencer said.
Knox, a 6-foot, 170 pound
point guard, averaged six points and five assists per game
for Westchester, which won to its third state title in the
last four years and its fifth L.A. City Section title in six
seasons and was ranked third in the nation by USA Today. He
is also well known for his defensive ability. He was named
to the LA Times South Bay/Westside All-Region Team.
Knox is the fourth straight
Westchester point guard to earn a Division I scholarship,
following in the footsteps of Gabe Pruitt (USC), Bobby Brown
(Cal State Fullerton) and Ashanti Cook (Georgetown).
"Joey understands what
it takes to win," Spencer said. "He is an excellent
defender with the quickness to pressure opposing point guards.
Offensively, he has demonstrated the ability to get the ball
to the right people at the right time. He is a capable scorer
as well, particularly at crunch time."
Johnson was a primary scorer
at LA Jordan HS, averaging 24 points, seven rebounds and four
assists per game. He earned First-Team All City honors and
was also named to the LA Times Central City All-Region Team.
"Chris played in only
one losing game in his senior year. He has been a prolific
scorer and will be counted upon to shoot the ball for us as
well. He can score from distance and effectively take the
ball to the basket as well. We believe he has a great future
at UCR both academically and athletically," Spencer said.
(May 31, 2005) -Sean Cunningham,
a 6-3, 190 pound guard, has signed a National Letter of Intent
to play at UC Riverside, Head Coach David Spencer announced
Tuesday.
Cunningham, out of Daniel
Murphy High School in Los Angeles, averaged over 24 points
and seven rebounds per game, earning first-team All-CIF honors
in Division IV-AA as well as All-League First Team recognition.
He was named to the LA Times Central City All-Region team.
Murphy also earned first team All-CIF honors as a junior in
2003-04.
"We are pleased that
Sean will become a Highlander. He is both an excellent student
and an outstanding basketball player," Spencer said.
"We are fortunate to get such a gifted young man given
our late start in recruiting him. He is a very athletic and
multi dimensional player who goes hard all the time. He will
fit very well into what we are trying to accomplish."
Spencer said that the coaching
staff is continuing to recruit and is on the hunt for quality
big men to augment the roster.
"We aren't done yet,"
Spencer said. "We fully intend to add some more size
and athleticism in the front court. It will continue to be
a busy summer for us."
(June 16, 2005) -Christian
Soto, a 6-7, 220 pound forward from Miami Christian School
has announced his intent to attend UC Riverside in the fall,
Head Coach David Spencer said Thursday.
A native of Puerto Rico,
Soto averaged 16 points and eight rebounds for the Knights,
helping them to an 18-12 overall record and to the regional
finals. He was named to the state's 1-A honorable mention
team by the Florida Sports Writers Association in 2005, the
second consecutive year he received the honor.
"Although Christian
will not turn 18 until late October he has a basketball maturity
beyond his years," Spencer said. "He possesses a
feel for the game that is difficult to teach and he made a
very positive impression on his future teammates when he visited."
"Christian runs the
court well and handles the ball as well as much smaller players
which should afford him opportunities to garner playing time
very quickly," Spencer added.
An outstanding student,
Soto is planning majoring in biochemistry. As the signing
period has concluded, Soto did not sign a letter of intent,
but rather accepted the Highlanders' grant-in-aid offer.
Soto is the fourth player
to commit to the Highlanders, joining guards Chris Johnson
(LA Jordan HS), Joey Knox (Westchester HS) and Sean Cunningham
(Daniel Murphy HS) who each signed letters of intent in May.
(August 19, 2005) - Benoit
Bekono, a 6-7, 190 pound graduate of Our Savior New American
School in Centerreach, NY, will join the UC Riverside men's
basketball team for the 2005-06 season, UCR Head Coach David
Spencer announced.
A native of Douala, Cameroon,
Bekono was a 2005 McDonald's All-American Nominee who was
ranked as high as 50 in the nation at his position. He averaged
14 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks per
game at Our Savior, earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors.
He has a 35-inch vertical leap.
"Benoit has outstanding
athleticism and is a hard worker. We love his attitude; he
is a team player, very conscientious. He will be a great addition
to our squad," Spencer said.
Spencer added that Bekono
would see time at the forward positions.
"He can penetrate into
the lane and hit the jumper. He runs the floor well and should
fit well into 'The System.'"
Bekono played with the New
York Elite in the Harley Davidson Classic in West Virginia
and competed in the Big Time Tournament.
Bekono is the fifth player
to join the Highlanders. Earlier signees were guards Chris
Johnson (LA Jordan HS), Joey Knox (Westchester HS) and Sean
Cunningham (Daniel Murphy HS) and forward Christian Soto (Miami
Christian HS).
(October 12, 2005) - College
basketball season is upon us, and the traditional kick-off
to the season will take place on Friday, October 14, 2005
as UC Riverside hosts its annual Midnight Madness event at
the Student Recreation Center in Riverside.
The doors of the SRC will
open at 11 PM and students will have the opportunity to shoot
free throws to win a Midnight Madness T-Shirt as well as sign
up for other opportunities during the evening, including the
FBI Student Booster Group, and the opportunity to participate
in a three-point shooting contest, the $10,000 shootout and
the half-court shot for tuition.
The evening will also feature
a tug-o-war between greek organizations and the debut of UCR
Idol, which will feature the singing styles of several UCR
students.
At Midnight the men's and
women's teams will be introduced to the public for the first
time.
"This is a great opportunity
for our fans to come out and meet the members of our men's
and women's basketball teams," event organizer Kurtis
Matzkind said. "We hope everyone will come out and have
a great time."
There is no charge for admission
to the event.
(Nov. 5, 2005) - The University
of California Riverside men's basketball team opened the 2005-06
season with an exhibition win over the University of Redlands,
162-123, in front of 661 fans at the Student Recreation Center
in Riverside Saturday.
The game was a track meet,
much as expected, as Redlands led the nation in scoring in
2004-05, and the Highlanders open 2005-06 with a new coaching
staff and new style.
Redshirt freshman guard
Houston Power led all scorers with 26 points and senior guard
Steve Williams had a double-double with 25 points and 14 rebounds.
Senior guard Rickey Porter had 20 points and junior guard
Dedrick Bates had a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds,
along with seven assists. In all, eight members of the Highlanders
reached double figures.
The Bulldogs were led by
Amir Mazarei, who had 24 points. Seven players finished in
double figures.
UCR shot 64-of-114 (56.1%)
from the field and 9-of-30 (30.0%) from the three point line.
The Bulldogs were 41-of-110 (37.3%) from the field and 24-of-78
(30.8%) from the three point line. UCR outrebounded the Bulldogs,
80-45.
The halftime score was 84-67.
As the game was an exhibition,
the totals do not count in the UCR record book. However, to
put the game in perspective, UCR's all-time high for points
was 138, recorded against Chapman on January 15, 1972. The
high for points against is 122, scored by Westmont on February
8, 1969.
(Nov. 8, 2005) - UCR senior
forward Klaus Schille (Berlin, GE) will undergo arthroscopic
surgery on Wednesday, November 9, to remove bone spurs in
his right ankle, Head Coach David Spencer announced.
Schille, who did not play
in the Highlanders' exhibition win over Redlands last Saturday,
will be out a minimum of two-to-four weeks.
"It is really an unfortunate
occurrence, as Klaus came back this season with renewed commitment
to the game and to the team," Spencer said.
A 6-11 forward, Schille
averaged 6.3 points per game and shot 56.2% (59-of-105) from
the field in 2004-05.
(Nov. 19, 2005) - The Washington
State Cougars defeated the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders,
86-55, in front of 1,526 fans at the Friel Court in Pullman,
WA Saturday, spoiling the debut of new UCR Head Coach David
Spencer.
The Highlanders, playing
without senior forward Klaus Schille (ankle surgery) and senior
point guard Justin Bell (knee injury), struggled with their
shooting against the taller Cougar squad, but showed improvement
as they gained their confidence as the evening wore on.
Redshirt freshman Houston
Power led the Highlanders with 11 points and sophomore guard
Larry Cunningham and freshman guard Sean Cunningham each had
10 points. Overall, UCR shot 19-of-79 (24.1%) from the field
and 6-of-33 (18.2%) from the three point line. UCR was 11-of-12
from the free throw line.
Josh Akognon led the Cougars
with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Aron Baynes had
19 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Overall, the Cougars shot 60.8%
from the field (31-of-51). Derrick Low had 15 points and added
11 assists.
UCR forced the Cougars into
22 turnovers, committing just 14 themselves.
The Highlanders scored first
on a three-point conversion by sophomore Larry Cunningham,
but nearly five minutes without scoring before freshman Benoit
Bekono converted a pair of free throws at 14:12, and just
under seven minutes before Dedrick Bates drained the team's
second field goal at 12:22. UCR was just 6-of-38 (15.8%) from
the field in the first half and 0-of-16 from the three-point
line. In contrast, the Cougars hit 15-of-25 (60.0%) from the
field and 4-of-6 from the three-point line. UCR got into early
foul trouble, losing senior guard Rickey Porter and senior
forward David Misko to the bench after each received a pair
of early whistles.
The Highlanders found their
flow a bit more in the second half, but were still outscored
42-36. WSU won the rebound battle, 42-35.
(Nov. 20, 2005) - Things
started to come together for the UC Riverside Highlanders,
but it wasn't enough to overcome the host University of Portland
Pilots, who posted a 92-74 win in front of a crowd of 1,612
fans at the Chiles Center in Portland Sunday.
The Highlanders fell to
0-2 on the season, while Portland improved to 1-2.
UCR senior guard Rickey
Porter had a game-high 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including
four threes, and senior forward Steve Williams had 16 points
on 7-of-16 shooting. Overall the Highlanders were 28-of-72
(38.9%) from the field and 7-of-30 (23.3%) from the three-point
line.
The Pilots had five players
in double figures, led by Pooh Jeter's 20 points, 11 coming
on free throws, including eight in the second half. Marcus
Lewis and Donald Wilson each had 15 points and Ben Sullivan
and Kevin Field each had 14. The Pilots shot 52.6 from the
field, hitting 30-of-57. They went to the free throw line
35 times, hitting 29 and shooting 82.9% from the line.
Trailing by 13 at halftime,
UCR opened the second half on an 8-0 run to cut the score
to 43-38 with 17:26 remaining in the half. A few minutes later
the Highlanders shaved that margin to two at 46-44 on a trey
by Porter.
But just like that the lead
was back to nine for the Pilots as Wilson drained a three,
followed by a Porter turnover that led to a Wilson fast-break
dunk. Moments later Williams committed a turnover and Jeter
drained a jumper to make the lead nine at 53-44 with 12:17
left.
UCR again got to within
five at 55-50, but that would be as close as they would get.
The Pilots put the game away a few minutes later, using an
8-0 run to turn a 66-60 score into a 74-60 lead with 4:28
remaining, never looking back.
In the first half, the teams
were tied early at 6-6, but the Pilots went on a 16-2 run
to build a 22-8 margin at 12:04, but the Highlanders responded
with a flurry of seven straight points on baskets by Williams,
Dedrick Bates and a trey from Porter to cut the lead to 27-20
with 6:00 minutes left, however the Pilots came right back
to build the margin to as many as 15 at 41-26 with 1:24 left
before finishing the half at 43-30.
The Highlanders again struggled
with their shooting in the early going, hitting 13-of-38 from
the field (34.2%) and 3-of-16 (18.8%) from the three point
line. UCR was also unable to exploit the free throw line,
not taking a charity shot until the 1:54 mark of the half
when Porter drained one-of-two. That would be UCR's only free
throws of the half, while in contrast the Pilots hit 11-of-14
(78.6%) from the line. Portland was 15-of-30 (50.0%) from
the field and 2-of-3 from the three point line.
(Nov. 26, 2005) - The visiting
University of San Diego Toreros defeated the host UC Riverside
Highlanders, 82-65 in a non-conference game at the Student
Recreation Center in Riverside Saturday.
The Highlanders fell to
0-3 on the season, while San Diego improved to 2-2.
The Toreros' Nick Lewis
led all scorers with 29 points on 13-of-16 shooting, Corey
Belser added 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds and Ross
DeRogatis had 12 points to lead the winners. For the Highlanders,
Larry Cunningham had a season-high 18 points, Houston Power
had 13 points and Rickey Porter had 11.
The Highlanders shot 24-of-74
(32.4%) from the field and 4-of-22 (18.2%) from the three-point
line. The Toreros were 33-of-56 (58.9%) from the field. USD
outrebounded UCR, 41-35. The Highlanders forced USD into 25
turnovers, while committing 16.
The Highlanders struggled
with their shooting in the first half, hitting 9-of-38 (23.7%)
from the field and 2-of-14 (14.3%) from the three-point line.
While their defense was able to force USD into 13 turnovers,
the Toreros still hit 13-of-24 (54.2%) from the field.
The Toreros jumped out to
a 6-0 lead in the first 1:36 of the game and built the margin
to 14 at 21-7 at 10:23. The Highlanders were able to move
to within eight with a 9-4 run that made the score 24-16 with
7:24 left, but again the Toreros built the lead to double-figures
before a 7-2 UCR run brought it back to nine at 34-25 at the
half.
The Toreros came out of
the gate fast in the second half to outscore UCR 11-2, leading
45-27 with 17:29 remaining. The margin grew to as many as
25, for the final time on a layup by USD's Nir Cohen with
9:58 left that made the score 63-38. UCR shaved the margin
back to 13 at 71-58 with 3:40 left, but could get no closer.
(Nov. 30, 2005) - The USC
Trojans defeated the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders, 81-48,
in a non-conference game in front of 1,741 fans at the Sports
Arena in Los Angeles Wednesday.
The Highlanders fell to
0-4 on the season, while the Trojans improved to 3-2.
Lodrick Stewart led the
Trojans with 23 points and Nick Young had 21 points, as the
Trojans hit 57.6% from the field on 34-of-59 shooting. The
Highlanders were led by senior forward David Misko, who had
nine points. Sophomore guard Larry Cunningham and freshman
Joey Knox each had eight points. UCR shot 33.3% (20-of-60)
from the field and were 3-of-17 (17.6%) from the three point
line.
The Highlanders went away
from the running offense and pressing defense against the
Trojans, who boast a strong backcourt. Instead, the Highlanders
worked in a zone defense and pressed off of made baskets.
The Trojans, who obviously expected a running game were surprised
early on, but began to have success as they worked the ball
around to open spots on the floor.
The teams were tied at 10-10
with 13:42 remaining, but USC took over, putting together
a 30-4 run at one point to build the lead to 40-14 with 3:21
remaining. UCR went nearly seven-and-a-half minutes without
scoring, finally getting back on the board on a layup by Misko
with 3:04 remaining. The Highlanders were 8-of-26 (30.8%)
from the field and 2-of-10 from the three-point line. The
Trojans were 17-of-26 (65.4%) in the half, led by Lodrick
Stewart's 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
The second half saw the
Trojans outscore the Highlanders, 37-27.
(Dec. 2, 2005) - The UC
Riverside men’s basketball team has announced the signing
of three junior college transfers and one international player
to join the Highlanders in 2006-07, Head Coach David Spencer
announced Friday.
Joining the UCR program
are 6-8 swingman Henrik Thomsen of Copenhagen, Denmark, 6-8
swingman DeMarcus Hall and 6-4 guard Aaron Scott of College
of the Sequoias and 6-2 guard Terrence Hundley of Santa Ana
Junior College.
Thomsen, who is 21, attended
Springfield High School in Youngstown, OH, as a transfer student
in 2002-03, helping the team to a 22-2 record. He played club
basketball with current Utah junior forward Jonas Langvad.
He will play a three-or-four spot, but could also play the
off guard spot.
“Henrik is an outstanding
perimeter shooter who is very comfortable from the international
three-point line, which makes our college three-point line
seem much closer,” Spencer said. “He will give
us some additional outside shooting ability and provide us
with more scoring punch and more size.”
The Highlanders will add
a pair of junior transfers from former UCR Assistant Coach
Rusty Smith’s College of the Sequoias program. Hall
is a forward who played at Monterey Peninsula as a freshman
and redshirted for the Giants last season, while Scott is
a native of Oakland who attended Oak Hill Academy, averaged
8.5 points per game and shot 50.6% from the field in 2004-05.
“DeMarcus is a very
long, athletic player who can play inside and out,”
Spencer said. ”Like Henrik, he will add some much needed
size as a forward, but can also play the three. He is very
athletic and has a nice touch from inside and outside.”
“Aaron is an outstanding
athlete, a great basketball body with really broad shoulders.
He can play any of three spots on the perimeter for us. He
is a very heady kid who has a great understanding of the game,”
Spencer said.
Terrence Hundley will join the program from Santa Ana JC.
He is a native of Rancho Cucamonga and attended Alta Loma
HS where he earned All-Orange Empire Conference First Team
honors last season, averaging 11.4 points per game.
“Terrence is an Inland
Empire kid who really wants to be a part of our program, and
that is very exciting,” Spencer said. “He is another
outstanding three point shooter and is very athletic and can
make the plays. He has an outstanding vertical leap.”
Spencer lauded his coaching
staff for their efforts, while adding that the Highlanders
are not finished in the recruiting area.
“My staff did an outstanding
job working the phones and finding these young men,”
Spencer said. “Combined with the freshmen we were able
to bring in this year, we are putting the pieces together
for an outstanding group of juniors and seniors in a couple
of years. Vonn Webb, Mark Wade and Clay McKnight deserve a
lot of credit for bringing these outstanding young athletes
into the fold.”
(Dec. 6, 2005) - The University
of San Diego Toreros used an outstanding second half shooting
performance to help them to a 94-67 win over the visiting
UC Riverside Highlanders at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San
Diego Tuesday.
The Toreros improved to
5-2 on the season, while the Highlanders fell to 0-5.
The Highlanders were led
by freshman guard Houston Power's 13 points and senior forward
Klaus Schille's 11 points. For the Toreros, forward Gyno Pomare
had 21 points and forward Nick Lewis had 20.
To use an overused cliche,
the game was a tale of two halves: the first in which the
Highlanders played their best basketball of the season, and
the second in which Pomare and Lewis went to work and USD
built their lead into double figures.
The game marked the 2005-06
debut of Schille, who missed the first four games of the season
after undergoing surgery on November 10th to remove bone spurs
in his right ankle. Schille showed no adverse effects from
the operation, playing 19 minutes and running the floor easily,
even leading the break for a dunk off of a nice through pass
by Steve Williams.
The Highlanders played the
best half of the season in the first, balancing the floor
and hitting 15-of-33 (45.5%) from the field. UCR got away
from the three point shot, taking just a pair, back-to-back
treys by freshman guard Sean Cunningham that brought the score
to 25-24 with 6:10 remaining in the half. UCR trailed by a
basket several times during the half, but the Toreros ended
the half on a strong note as guard Ross DeRogatis drained
a three at the buzzer to give USD a 42-36 lead into the intermission.
In the second half, Pomare
and Lewis combined to score USD's first 10 points in a two-and-a-half
minute span to build the six point lead into a 52-39 advantage.
The Toreros never looked back from there, shooting 59.4% (19-of-32)
from the field while holding the Highlanders to 29.7% (11-of-37).
(Dec. 10, 2005) - The Highlanders
got closer, but faded down the stretch as the Eastern Washington
University defeated host UC Riverside, 85-70, at the Student
Recreation Center in Riverside Saturday.
Eastern Washington 4-3 while
the Highlanders fell to 0-6.
EWU's Rodney Stuckey led
all scorers with 30 points, hitting 10-of-12 from the field
and 7-of-9 from the free throw line. Kellen Williams had 17
points and Paul Butorac had 13 points and nine rebounds. For
the Highlanders, senior guard Rickey Porter had a career-high
24 points on 10-of-18 shooting, and sophomore guard Larry
Cunningham added 14 points and senior forward Steve Williams
had 11 points off of the bench.
The Eagles shot 58.5% (31-of-53)
from the field and committed 30 turnovers. The Highlanders
were 39.1% (27-of-69) from the field. UCR struggled at the
free throw line, hitting just 9-of-18 (50.0%).
UCR had their finest first
half of the season, forcing the Eagles into 20 turnovers in
the half and running the floor effectively. The Highlanders
shot 42.4% (14-of-33) from the floor and were led by 10 points
by Porter. The Eagles shot well when not turning the ball
over, hitting 15-of-25 (60.0%) from the floor. UCR trailed
by just two at the half, trailing 37-35 and missing a bid
for the lead when a Cunningham three pointer rimmed out at
the buzzer.
The Highlanders had an early
lead in the second half, behind back-to-back threes by Porter
to give UCR a 41-39 lead. UCR trailed by three with 9:25 left
at 60-57, but the Eagles went on a 22-7 run over a seven-minute
span to build the lead to 82-64 with 2:21 left. A Porter dunk
at the buzzer made the final margin 15 at 85-70.
(Dec. 16, 2005) - The Big
West Conference and College Sports TV have reached an agreement
that will allow UC Riverside along with all the schools in
the BWC conference to webcast home Big West basketball games.
All UCR men and women’s
home basketball games and Big West away games for the 2005-2006
season will be available live on the internet through CSTV.
There will be no charge for the games during the remainder
of 2005. A small subscription fee will be in place for the
conference games beginning in 2006 for the remainder of the
season.
“This is an exciting
opportunity for our basketball programs to be available to
Highlander fans worldwide” said Director of Athletics
Stan Morrison.
The webcasts will be viewable
with any computer that has a standard Windows Media Player.
No special software or equipment is required. The link will
be made available from the UCR Athletics web site at www.athletics.ucr.edu.
The Highlanders first webcast
will be Monday, December 19th at 7:05 as the men's team faces
the University of Montana. The remainder of the schedule for
the men and women is available on the UCR
Athletics website.
(Dec. 19, 2005) - The visiting
Montana Grizzlies defeated the host UC Riverside Highlanders,
77-67 in a non-conference game in front of 627 fans at the
Student Recreation Center in Riverside Monday. The Highlanders
fell to 0-7, while the Grizzlies won their ninth straight,
improving to 9-1.
Senior guard Rickey Porter
led the Highlanders with 16 points and freshman guard Houston
Power had 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Senior guard Steve
Williams added 10 points for the Highlanders. UCR's 11 treys
was a season-high.
The Grizzlies Andrew Strait
had a career high 31 points on 14-of-21 shooting and Kevin
Criswell added 14 points. Jordan Hasquet had eight points
and a career-high nine rebounds and Virgil Matthews had nine
points and a career-high 10 assists.
The Highlanders started
five freshman, Sean Cunningham, Benoit Bekono, Joey Knox,
Power and Christian Soto, for the first time this season.
The first half was very close, with the the Grizzlies taking
a 32-30 advantage into the intermission. The teams traded
leads seven times and battled through eight ties. Montana
shot 50.0% (14-of-28) from the field and the Highlanders were
9-of-21, including 5-of-13 from the three point line.
The Grizzlies padded their
lead to seven in the first minute of the second half, but
UCR refused to quit, getting to within two at 56-54 with 8:09
remaining. But the Grizzlies came out aggressively following
the media timeout and expanded the margin to seven on back
to back layups and a free throw by Criswell to make the score
61-54, and the Highlanders never would get closer than five
the rest of the way.
(Dec. 21, 2005) -The visiting
University of Puget Sound overcame a 13-point halftime deficit
to post a 115-111 victory over the host UC Riverside Highlanders
in a non-conference game in front of 590 fans at the Student
Recreation Center in Riverside Wednesday.
UCR fell to 0-8, while Puget
Sound, a member of NCAA Division III, improved to 7-1.
Senior guard Rickey Porter
led all scorers with a career-high 34 points, tied for the
fifth highest individual scoring total in school history.
Sophomore guard Larry Cunningham had a double-double with
a season-high 27 points and 11 rebounds and junior guard Dedrick
Bates had his first career double-double with 18 points and
11 rebounds. The double-doubles were the first for the Highlanders
this season.
The Loggers had seven players
in double figures, led by Zack McVey with 19 points and Chase
Curtiss had 16 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Two other school records
were toppled in the game, including personal fouls (39, previous
record of 37 set at Southern Indiana on Dec. 28, 1990) and
turnovers (36, previous record of 28 set vs. Oregon on 12/28/02).
The 35 fouls called on UPS was the second most in school history.
The Highlanders led by 13
at halftime, but UPS turned up the pressure defense, forcing
the Highlanders into 22 second half turnovers. The Loggers
took the lead for the first time in the half at 75-74 with
13:11 left. The teams battled back and forth, and UCR led
for the last time at 97-95 on a Larry Cunningham layup with
7:26 remaining. The Loggers led by six at 109-103 with 3:04,
but UCR cut it to two at 113-111 on a layup by Christian Soto
with 1:17 remaining. The Highlanders had a chance to regain
the lead, but Porter's layup attempt with 13 seconds left
was short and Josh Walker snagged the rebound and was fouled
by Soto. He drained both free throws to give the Loggers the
final 115-111 margin.
Porter led all scorers with
22 points in the first half, hitting 9-of-12 from the field
and the Highlanders led by as many as 18 at 56-38 with 2:41
left in the first half. But Puget Sound went on a 12-4 run
over the next minute to cut the lead to 10 at 60-50 with 54
seconds left. A Sean Cunningham trey in the final seconds
gave the Highlanders a 13-point lead at the intermission.
(Dec. 28, 2005) - The UC
Riverside Highlanders lost a heartbreaker to host Santa Clara,
63-61 in the first game of the Cable Car Classic Tournament
at the Leavey Center in Santa Clara Wednesday. UCR fell to
0-9 while Santa Clara improved to 6-5.
Senior guard Rickey Porter
led the Highlanders with 22 points and was the only scorer
in double-digits. Freshman forward Benoit Bekono, senior forward
Klaus Schille and junior guard Dedrick Bates each had eight
points. The Highlanders shot 29.7% (22-of-74) from the field
and were 8-of-23 from the three point line, 3-of-13 in the
second half.
The Broncos were led by
senior forward Travis Niesen, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds.
Freshman center John Bryant had 16 points and 17 boards, but
only two points and three boards in the second half. They
shot 37.3% (22-of-59) from the field and 18.2% (2-of-11) from
the three point line.
UCR outrebounded Santa Clara,
49-46, but were on the downside in fouls, being whistled 21
times to the Broncos' 11.
The game came down to the
final possession, as the Highlanders rallied back from a 12-point
deficit with 6:04 remaining. Porter got a rebound of a Niesen
miss after a strong defensive possession in the final 15 seconds
and UCR called time out with 2.4 seconds left. But Porter's
running trey at the buzzer from the right top of the key was
long.
The game looked in hand
for the Broncos late in the second half as Santa Clara's Calvin
Johnson scored eight points in a 10-2 Santa Clara run that
gave the Broncos a 57-45 lead with 6:04 remaining. But UCR's
defense held the Broncos to just one field goal and one free
throw in the final 5:32 and UCR shaved the margin to two with
35 seconds left on a fast break bucket by Porter off of a
steal and pass by Bates.
The Highlanders held a 31-30
lead at halftime, getting balanced scoring with Porter scoring
eight and Bekono, Bates and Power each having six. UCR was
13-of-40 (32.5%) from the field and 5-of-10 (50.0%) from the
three point line The Broncos were led by Bryant, who had a
double-double with 14 points and 14 boards. The Broncos were
12-of-30 (40.0%) from the field but 0-of-7 from the three-point
line.
(Dec. 29, 2005) - Terrier
senior forward Kevin Gardner scored a game-high 19 points,
15 in the second half, and Boston University defeated the
UC Riverside Highlanders, 80-69 in the consolation game of
the Cable Car Classic Tournament at the Leavey Center in Santa
Clara Thursday.
The Highlanders fell to
0-10, while Boston improved to 5-7.
Senior guard Rickey Porter
led the Highlanders with 14 points, senior forward Klaus Schille
had 13, freshman forward Benoit Bekono had 12 and freshman
guard Houston Power had 11. The Highlanders shot 26-of-52
(50.0%) from the field, including a strong 17-of-24 (70.8%)
in the second half, but it was not enough.
Gardner led the Terriers
with 19 points and freshman guard Corey Hassan added 17 as
the Terriers were 33-of-57 (57.9%) from the field in the game.
After scoring just four
points in the first half, Gardner exploded in the second,
at one point accounting for 15 of the Terriers' 21 points
in the half. The Highlanders trailed 48-47 with 10:47 remaining,
but Gardner led BU on a 11-3 over the next three minutes run
that boosted the Terriers into a 59-48 lead with 7:59 left.
The lead blossomed to as many as 16 before the Highlanders
got to within 11 with a Joey Knox layup in the final seconds.
The Terriers took a 34-29
lead into the intermission after a back-and-forth first half.
The Highlanders hit 4-of-11 from the three point line (36.4%),
but struggled from closer range, at 5-of-17 (29.4%). Hassan
started off hot, draining three treys in the first three minutes
of the game, but UCR was able to keep it close and eventually
moved into the lead. UCR led 23-22 with 8:11 left, and 29-28
with 4:50 left. But the Highlanders went scoreless for the
rest of the half while the Terriers tallied six to take the
five point lead. Despite the hot start, Hassan finished the
half with nine, as did senior guard Shaun Wynn, who finished
with 13 points.
(Jan. 2, 2006) - The UC
Riverside Highlanders opened 2006 in fine fashion Monday,
holding on for an 81-78 win over the visiting UC Santa Barbara
Gauchos in the Big West opener for both teams in front of
622 fans at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Monday.
The Highlanders improved
to 1-10 overall and 1-0 in the Big West, while Santa Barbara
fell to 5-6, 0-1.
Sophomore guard Larry Cunningham
led the Highlanders with 18 points and Klaus Schille came
off the bench to score 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Freshman
guard Houston Power and senior guard Rickey Porter each had
11 points in the win. UCR shot a season-high 55.4% from the
field on 31-of-56 shooting and were 8-of-23 (34.8%) from the
free throw line.
For the Gauchos, Chris Devine
had a double-double with career-highs of 21 points and 11
rebounds. Joe See had 15 points and Cecil Brown had 13 as
the Gauchos were 25-of-58 (43.1%) from the field.
The Highlanders led by six
at the half and quickly built the lead to 12 at 53-41 with
17:38 left. But the Gauchos chipped away at the margin and
brought the lead to one at 68-67 with 4:01 remaining. UCR
built the margin back to five on a three by Larry Cunningham
with 1:38 left off a dish by Porter.
The Gauchos again got to
within one as Derek Rasp followed a pair of UCR free throws
by draining an uncontested three from the top of the key with
12 seconds left to make the score 79-78. The Gauchos fouled
Power with nine seconds left and he drained both freebies
to build the UCR lead to three. Following a UCR timeout, the
Gauchos tried to get a shot off to tie, but were locked up
by the Highlander defense and Rasp was nailed for double-dribble,
ending the threat.
The win is the third consecutive
win in Riverside for the Highlanders against the Gauchos,
dating back to the 2003-04 season. It breaks a season-long
10 game losing streak for UCR.
(Jan. 4, 2006) - The Cal
Poly Mustangs used a late first half run to take the lead
for good to defeat the host UC Riverside Highlanders, 66-55
in a Big West matinee in front of 460 fans at the Student
Recreation Center in Riverside Wednesday.
The Highlanders fall to
1-11 overall and 1-1 in the Big West, while Cal Poly improves
to 4-8, 2-0.
Mustang forward Gabe Stephenson
led all scorers with 18 points and Derek Stockalper added
14. The Highlanders were led by junior guard Dedrick Bates
and freshman guard Houston Power who each had nine points.
The Highlanders had six players score at least six points.
UCR shot 40.7% (22-of-54) from the field and Cal Poly was
at 42.6% (23-of-54).
UCR trailed by six at halftime,
but Cal Poly came out of the intermission fast and built the
lead to 12 at 36-24 with 17:11 left. Poly led by as many as
17 at 58-41 with 6:59 left, but the Highlanders got it back
to single digits at 60-51with 2:46 left. However, the Highlanders
could get no closer.
The first half started out
slowly as both teams struggled with their shooting, combining
to hit 5-of-24 in the first 10 minutes of the game as UCR
led 9-6. The Highlanders led 21-17 with 2:54 left, but Cal
Poly went on a 10-0 run to close out the half and take a 27-21
lead into the intermission. The flurry helped the Mustangs
hit 41.7% (10-of-24) from the field in the half, while the
Highlanders were at 32.1% (9-of-28).
(Jan. 7, 2006) - Senior
guard Rickey Porter scored a career-high 40 points, 21 coming
on seven-of-seven shooting from three point range, to lead
the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders to a 83-71 win over
the host University of the Pacific Tigers at the Spanos Center
in Stockton Saturday.
The Highlanders improve
to 2-1 in the Big West and to 2-11 overall. Pacific falls
to 9-5 on the season and 0-1 in conference. The loss ended
Pacific's streak of 31 consecutive Big West league wins.
Porter's 40 points was the
second highest point total in school history, trailing only
Dick Barton's 42-point effort recorded on January 11, 1969.
The senior had 22 points in the first half and was 13-19 from
the field, including 7-of-7 from three-point range, tying
for the second-highest total of made treys in school history.
Sophomore guard Larry Cunningham
was the only other Highlander to score in double-figures,
scoring 10 points and pulling down eight rebounds. Junior
guard Dedrick Bates had nine points and 10 rebounds and a
team-high five assists. UCR was 31-of-63 (49.2%) from the
field and 9-of-18 from the three-point line. UCR outrebounded
the Tigers, 42-25. Defensively, UCR held the Tigers to 31.8%
shooting from the three-point line in the game. The Highlanders
entered the game second in the conference behind the Tigers
in three-point defense, 32.1% to 32.0%.
Johnny Gray led the Tigers
with 24 points and Christian Maraker had 20. The Tigers shot
49.1% (28-of-57) from the field.
Pacific took its largest
lead of the first half (nine points) with 1:54 left in the
half, but UC Riverside outscored the Tigers 8-0 - a three-point
play and a trey by Porter and a steal and fast break layup
by Bates - to cut the margin to just 40-39 at the break.
The Tigers came out strong
to start the second half, using a 12-2 run to take a 54-43
lead with 15:50 left in the game. The Highlanders responded
though, using an 18-2 run to take their first lead of the
game - 63-58 with 10:11 remaining.
The Tigers would not get
closer than two the rest of the game. They trailed by four
at 75-71 following a pair of Gray free throws with 3:15 left,
but the Highlanders scored the final eight points of the game,
including a layup by senior forward Klaus Schille and six
consecutive free throws by Porter.
The loss was the first time
in the last 20 home games against Big West opponents. The
Tigers were held without a field goal for the final 6:25 of
the game. The Highlanders' bench outscored the Tigers' bench,
17-5, including a 15-0 advantage in the second half.
(Jan. 9, 2006) - The host
Cal State Northridge Matadors used an outstanding second-half
effort to break a two-point halftime lead into an 76-62 victory
over the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders at the Matadome
in Northridge Monday.
The Matadors improved to
6-6 overall and 1-1 in the Big West, while the Highlanders
dropped to 2-2 in the Big West and to 2-12 overall.
Junior guard Dedrick Bates
led the Highlanders with 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting, and
freshman forward Christian Soto had 11 points and six rebounds
and sophomore guard Larry Cunningham had 11 points and four
rebounds. Senior David Misko had career highs of nine points
and nine rebounds. UCR shot 33.3% (18-of-54) on the night
and were outrebounded 46-38.
For the Matadors, junior
guard Mike Efevberha was held scoreless in the first half,
but tallied a game-high 16 points in the second half to lead
all scorers. Calvin Chitwood, Rob Haynes and Terrell Jones
each had 12 points. Northridge was 42.3% (30-of-71) from the
field.
The Highlanders didn't
make a field goal for the first 7:52 of the game, then scored
three in under a minute as Misko scored a put-back, Larry
Cunningham drained a jumper and Bates stole a pass and laid
it in to give the Highlanders an 11-9 lead at 11:29.
The Matadors led by seven
at 22-15 with 5:37 left, but Soto scored five straight points
on a field goal and a trio of free throws and Bates scored
a pair to help the Highlanders on an 11-4 run, capped off
by a layup by Richard Cobbs from Porter with 1:10 left to
tie the score at 26-26. A Chitwood layup gave the Matadors
back the lead seconds later, and neither team could sink a
shot in the final minute as the Matadors led by two entering
the intermission.
UCR struggled with their
shooting, going 9-of-34 (26.5%) from the field in the first
half and 0-of-11 from the three-point line. The Matadors were
12-of-32 (37.5%) and just 1-of-7 (14.3%) from the three-point
line. Neither Porter nor Efevberha, coming off of 40 and 39
point games respectively in their last games, scored in the
first half.
UCR cut the second half
lead to one at 28-27 on a Misko free throw, but the Matadors
scored nine straight points to build a 10-point lead at 37-27
with 18:01 left. The margin built to as many as 19 before
finishing at 14 at 76-62.
The Highlanders were without
senior guard Steve Williams (sprained ankle) and freshmen
guards Chris Johnson and Sean Cunningham and forward Benoit
Bekono (academic eligibility).
(Jan. 9, 2006) - To the
surprise of virtually no one, UCR senior guard Rickey Porter
(Fountain Valley, CA) was named Big West Player of the Week
on Monday, January 9, 2006, following his 40-point game in
the Highlanders' win over Pacific on January 7.
It is the second time in
his career that Porter has earned Player of the Week honors,
garnering it last season on November 29th following a 21-point
effort against Loyola Marymount. He is the only Highlander
to win the Big West Player of the Week honor.
Against Pacific, Porter
scored 40 points, the second-highest scoring total in school
history, and set personal marks in field goals made (13),
field goal percentage (68.4%, 13-of-19), free throws made
(7), free throws attempted (9), and minutes played (38). The
effort helped the Highlanders snap an eight-game losing streak
to the Tigers and to end the Tigers' streak of 31 consecutive
Big West Conference wins.
Though the NCAA has not
updated its web site as of press time, Porter's 40 points
is at least the 10th 40-point or better performance on the
season.
Porter is averaging a team-high
16.8 points per game and has made a team-high 36 three pointers,
shooting at 43.9% from the field. He also has a team-high
42 assists. Earlier this season, Porter scored a then-career-high
34 points in the loss to UPS, tying him for sixth in the all-time
UCR top-10. Two games earlier he had established career-highs
in points with 24 and steals with five in the loss to Eastern
Washington (12/10/05), and followed that with 16 against Montana
(12/19/05).
(Jan. 14, 2006) - The Cal
State Fullerton Titans defeated the host UC Riverside Highlanders,
90-79, in a Big West contest in front of a crowd of 918 fans
at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Saturday.
Titans improved to 9-5 overall
and 3-2 in the Big West, while the Highlanders fell to 2-3
in the Big West and to 2-13 overall.
The Titans had five players
score in double figures, led by Jamaal Brown's 18 points.
Bobby Brown had 17 points as did Justin Burns, who also had
a game-high 10 rebounds.
For the Highlanders, senior
guard Rickey Porter led the way with 21 points on 7-of-14
shooting from the field. Junior guard Dedrick Bates had a
career-high 20 points, including a perfect 4-for-4 from the
three point line and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Senior
forward David Misko also had a career-high of 16 points and
a team-high eight rebounds. Senior guard Steve Williams had
10 points off of the bench.
UCR shot 44.4% (28-of-63)
from the field, but the Titans were at 54.2% (32-of-59). The
Titans won the rebounding war, 39-30.
Things started out going
the Highlanders way as they opened up an 11-3 lead over the
first 3:18, but the Titans came back to tie the score at 11-11
with 14:56 left, then took the lead for the first time with
11:13 left on a trey by Bobby Brown. The Titans kept the pressure
on, building a 10-point lead at 30-20 with 6:27 left. UCR
shaved the margin to six at 32-26 on four free throws by sophomore
guard Larry Cunningham, his only points of the game, and a
coast-to-coast layup by Williams 4:57 left, but the Titans
finished strong to end the half with a 46-35 lead. The Titans
shot 14-of-28 (50.0%) from the field while the Highlanders
were 13-of-34 (38.2%).
UCR fought back to get the
lead into single-digits, cutting it to 70-62 on a layup by
Misko with 8:46 left, then again to eight at 75-67 on a three
at the shot-clock buzzer by Bates. But an 8-0 run by the Titans
built the lead back to 16 at 83-67 with 5:20 left and never
looked back.
(Jan. 19, 2006) - The UC
Irvine Anteaters almost squandered a 25-point lead, but held
on to defeat a resurgent UC Riverside squad, 71-61, in a Big
West contest in front of 1,130 fans at the Student Recreation
Center in Riverside Thursday.
The Anteaters improved to
9-8 overall and 5-0 in the Big West, while the Highlanders
fell to 2-4 in the Big West and to 2-14 overall.
Senior guard Steve Williams
led the Highlanders with a game and career-high 23 points.
Sophomore guard Larry Cunningham came off the bench to add
13 points and senior guard Rickey Porter added 10. UCI's Adam
Templeton came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points,
and Nic Campbell and Darren Fells had 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Highlanders, who trailed
by as many as 25 points in the first half and 18 in the second
half, used a 20-5 run in the second half to shave the Anteater
lead down to just three at 59-56 on a trey by Porter with
5:11 remaining. The Anteaters regained the momentum and built
the lead to six. UCR had opportunities to shave the lead further,
but could not convert as Porter missed a pair of free throws
that could have sliced the margin to four with 2:35 left and
Cunningham committed a costly turnover that resulted in a
steal and fastbreak layup by Aaron Fitzgerald that gave Irvine
a commanding 66-58 lead with 1:49 remaining.
Free throws were the Highlanders'
biggest Achilles' heel, as they were just 12-of-20 (60.0%)
on the game, including just 3-of-9 in the final three minutes
of the game. UCI wasn't any better, hitting just 7-of-13 (53.8%)
from the free throw line, but made up for it at the three
point line, hitting 10-of-23 (43.5%) from beyond the arc.
UCR, by contrast, was just 5-of-24 (20.8%). Overall the Highlanders
shot 22-of-59 (37.3%) from the field, while UCI was 27-of-54
(50.0%).
Irvine started the game
on fire, scoring 17 unanswered points over the first 5:28
of the ball game. UCR got its first basket on a jumper by
Williams with 13:17 remaining, but the Anteaters again went
on a run to build a 37-12 lead with 6:12 remaining.
But the Highlanders didn't
give up, putting together a 14-0 run over the next four and
a half minutes to cut the lead to 11 at 37-26 with 2:42 left.
The Anteaters took a 41-29 lead into the intermission. UCR,
which missed its first eight shots, finished the half at 10-of-30
(33.3%), including 4-of-15 (26.7%)from the three point line.
UCI was 17-of-32 (53.1%) from the field, including 7-of-15
(46.7%) from the three point line.
The Highlanders played the
game without Head Coach David Spencer, who missed the game
due to a severe inner ear infection. Assistant Coach Vonn
Webb ran the Highlanders on Thursday.
(Jan. 21, 2006) - The Long
Beach State 49ers used a strong second half to lead them to
a 82-70 win over the host UC Riverside Highlanders in a Big
West contest in front of 1,342 fans at the Student Recreation
Center in Riverside Saturday.
The 49ers improved to 9-8
overall and 4-2 in the Big West. UCR is now 2-15 overall and
2-5 in the Big West.
For the Highlanders, senior
guard Rickey Porter had 22 points and junior guard Dedrick
Bates had a career-high 21 points and seven rebounds. Freshman
guard Sean Cunningham, in his first game back after missing
four games due to eligibility issues, had a career-high 11
points and a career- and game-high five steals. Overall the
Highlanders shot 23-of-69 (33.3%) from the field and 6-of-23
(26.1%) from the three point line. UCR was 18-of-22 (81.8%)
from the free throw line.
Kejuan Johnson led the 49ers
with 18 points and Aaron Nixon added 15 points off of the
bench. Onye Ibekwe had eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
The 49ers shot 32-of-62 (51.6%) from the field, 5-of-16 (31.3%)
from the three point line, but 0-of-7 in the second half.
They were 13-of-19 (68.4%) from the free throw line in the
second half.
The first half was a back-and-forth
affair, but the 49ers finished on a 7-2 run to take a 39-35
lead into the intermission. UCR took a 33-32 lead on a bucket
and free throw by Larry Cunningham with 3:27 left, but the
49ers came fight back to build the lead to six at 39-33 on
a sideline jumper off an inbounds play by Johnson, followed
by a trey by Nixon. Moments later Johnson stole an errant
pass from Porter and converted the layup for the 39-35 lead.
Porter dropped in a layup with 57 seconds left to cut the
margin to four into the intermission.
The Highlanders shot 12-of-38
(31.6%) in the first half, but were just 3-of-13 (23.1%) from
the three point line. Long Beach was 14-of-31 (45.2%) and
hit 5-of-9 from the three point line. They struggled at the
free throw line, hitting just 6-of-11 (54.5%), compared to
UCR's 8-of-9 (88.9%).
LBSU outscored the Highlanders
24-9 in a second half run that broke a 51-51 tie and built
it into a 75-60 lead with 3:31 remaining. At one point during
the run, the Highlanders were 1-of-14 from the field. UCR
got it back to single digits at 79-70 with 1:02 remaining
on a three-pointer by Porter, but that was as close as they
would get.
Head Coach David Spencer
missed his second consecutive game with vertigo stemming from
a severe inner ear infection. Once again, Assistant Coach
Vonn Webb ran the team in Spencer's absence.
(Jan. 26, 2006) - The UC
Davis Aggies handed the UC Riverside Highlanders a non-conference
loss with a 75-69 decision at the Pavilion in Davis Thursday.
The Aggies improved to 6-13 overall. UCR is now 2-16 overall.
Junior guard Dedrick Bates
led the Highlanders with a game-high 18 points, and sophomore
guard Larry Cunningham had 14 and senior forward Steve Williams
added 13. Freshman Christian Soto had 10 points on 4-of-5
shooting, including a pair of threes, but was 0-of-5 from
the free throw line. The Highlanders were 26-of-57 (46%) from
the field, 7-of-15 (47%) from the three point line, but just
10-of-19 (53%) from the free throw line.
The Aggies got 17 points
by Thomas Juillerat, 12 each from Vince Oliver and Kyle Brucculeri,
11 points from Rommel Marentez and 10 by Phil Rasmussen. The
Aggies were 25-of-53 (47%) from the field, 5-of-13 (38%) from
the three point line and 20-of-30 (67%) from the free throw
line. UCR outrebounded UC Davis, 38-32, but the Highlanders
committed 17 turnovers to the Aggies 13.
The Aggies led 31-22 at
halftime, outscoring the Highlanders with a 9-0 run over the
final 4:12 of the half to break open a tie ball game. In the
run the Highlanders missed seven field goals and three free
throws. The Highlanders held a 19-15 lead with 7:08 remaining
in the half, but scored just one free throw and one field
goal in the final nine minutes of the half.
The Highlanders opened the
second half strong and cut the margin to four at 35-31 with
17:16 left on a three by Bates. However, the Aggies quickly
bounced the margin back to 10 at 41-31. The lead increased
to as many as 13, before UCR whittled it down to four points
at 62-58 on Soto's second trey with 4:47 left. But UCR could
never get any closer than six in the final minutes.
(Jan. 31, 2006) - The Redhawks
of Southeast Missouri State University will wing their way
to California to face the host UC Riverside Highlanders as
part of ESPN's eBay Bracket Buster men's basketball tournament
on Saturday, February 18, 2006. The game will tip-off at 4:00
PM at UCR's Student Recreation Center.
The Highlanders will return
the game with the Redhawks in Cape Girardeau in November or
December, 2006.
The Redhawks, under the guidance of Head Coach Gary Garner,
are 6-14 on the season and 3-11 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
They are led by 6-3 senior guard Roy Booker, who is averaging
22.5 points per game. Garner has a 125-126 mark in nine years
with the Red Hawks.
UCR is 2-16 on the season
and 2-5 in the Big West under first-year Head Coach David
Spencer.
The remainder of the Big
West slate of games consists of: Cal Poly at Saint Mary’s,
UC Santa Barbara at San Jose State, Cal State Northridge at
Boise State and Long Beach State at Manhattan with Cal State
Fullerton hosting Eastern Washington, UC Irvine hosting Drake
and Pacific hosting New Mexico State.
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