Highlander Men Receive No Love in Polls at Big West Media Day

(Oct. 25, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders men's basketball team was predicted to finish in eighth place in both the media and coaches polls at the annual Big West Media Day in Irvine Wednesday.

The Highlanders, coming off of a 5-23 season under first-year Head Coach David Spencer, received seven points in the coaches' poll and 23 points in the media poll. Pacific and Long Beach State tied for first place honors in the coaches' poll, while Long Beach dominated the media poll.

Men's Basketball Coach David Spencer Granted Medical Leave of Absence

(Nov. 3, 2006) - UC Riverside Head Men's Basketball Coach David Spencer has requested and been granted a medical leave of absence, Director of Athletics Stan Morrison announced.

Associate Head Coach Vonn Webb will serve as interim head coach during Spencer's absence.

Highlanders Open 06-07 With 81-77 Exhibition Victory Over CS Dominguez Hills

(Nov. 6, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders used a game-high 21-point effort by senior guard Justin Bell and double-doubles by sophomore forwards Benoit Bekono and B.J. Visman to post an 81-77 win over visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills in an exhibition game at the Physical Education Gym on the UCR campus Monday.

Bekono had 16 points - including 10 from the free throw line - and 10 rebounds and Visman added 11 points and a game-high 11 boards in the win over the Division II Toros, a former regular opponent of the Highlanders in the CCAA before UCR moved to Division I. UCR shot 42.4% from the field, including 51.5% in the second half.

The Toros had four players in double figures, led by Mike Steed's 14 point effort. Nonso Nibo added 13 while Gabe Bernard and Shamont Brown each had 11. Overall the Toros shot 43.3% from the field.

Bell showed no ill effects from missing the entire 05-06 season with torn knee ligaments, hitting 8-of-15 from the field and 5-of-10 from the three point line. Also making the return from the injured list was senior guard Dedrick Bates, who came off the bench to score nine points while showing no deficiency in his trademark speed or toughness.

The Highlanders got off to a slow start and the Toros led by as many as nine in the first half, the last time coming at 22-13 with 7:34 left. But the Highlanders quickly turned that around with a 17-1 run keyed by a three-point play by Bekono followed by back-to-back treys by Bell and Bates, the latter tying the score at 22-22.

Despite leading by seven with 3:05 left, the Toros came right back and took the lead entering the intermission at 32-31. The Highlanders came right back after the half and built a the lead to 11 at 55-44 with 11:41 left and by the 3:13 mark led by 14 at 73-59.

But the Toros turned on the press and used it to force the Highlanders into three turnovers in the span of a minute that sliced the lead to just two at 73-71 with 2:06 left.

Bekono stopped the run by hitting a pair of free throws to make it 75-71. UCR then drained six-of-eight charity shots in the final 1:15 to put the game out of reach.

Highlanders Put Up Good Fight but Fall to Iowa State, 69-61

(Nov. 10, 2006) - The visiting UC Riverside Highlanders put together a solid effort, but a second half rally by host Iowa State led the Cyclones to a 69-61 win at the American Family BTI Cyclone Challenge at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, IA Friday.

The Highlanders are 0-1, Iowa State is now 1-0.

Junior forward B.J. Visman came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points and pull down nine rebounds in 29 minutes. Junior guard Larry Cunningham had 12 points and seven boards. UCR shot 34.8% (23-of-66) from the field and 20% (3-of-15) from the three point line. The Highlanders won the battle of the boards, 41-35, but turnovers were the biggest problem as UCR committed 23.

Mike Taylor led Iowa State with a game-high 22 points and adding seven rebounds and Wesley Johnson had 10 points.

The Highlanders led 33-30 at halftime, but second-half shooting woes cost them the ball game. UCR was just 10-of-36 (27.8%) from the field in the second half and missed all six of their three-point attempts. In contrast, Iowa State shot a consistent 42.2% (19-of-45) from the field and 38.5% (5-of-13) from the three point line.

The Cyclones retook the lead at 38-37 with 13:33 left and jumped out to a 47-39 lead. The lead grew to 14 at 62-48, but UCR came back to cut the margin to six at 63-57 on a three point play conversion by senior guard Dedrick Bates. ISU scored the next four points to rebuild the margin to 10. UCR again got to within six on three free throws by Bates with 26 seconds left, but ISU scored a pair of free throws and ran out the clock for the win.

UCR got off to a slow start, turning the ball over on three of their first four possessions before Henrik Thomsen got them on the board with his first collegiate three at 17:09 to tie it at 3-3. The Cyclones went on a 13-2 run over the next four minutes to jump out to a 16-5 lead before Visman broke the streak with a basket.

The Highlanders gradually chipped away at the lead, paring it down to three at 26-23 on a trey by Justin Bell with 5:21 left. After surrendering a basket on the next possession, UCR got a three-point play by Visman and a layup by sophomore forward Benoit Bekono to cut the margin to tie the score with 3:31 remaining. Bell's trey at 2:08 gave the Highlanders their first lead of the game at 31-30, and they entered halftime with a 33-30 advantage, with Visman leading the way with 11 points off of the bench.

Highlanders Get First Win With 64-55 Victory Over Eastern Illinois

(Nov. 11, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders overcame an early shooting slump and, led by junior guard Larry Cunningham's 18 points, posted a come-from-behind 64-55 over Eastern Illinois at the American Family BTI Cyclone Challenge at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, IA Saturday.

The Highlanders are 1-1, Eastern Illinois is 0-2.

Cunningham scored 14 of his game-high 18 in the second half, and senior guard Justin Bell had 13 points, making a pair of threes and seven-of-eight from the free throw line. Junior forward B.J. Visman came off the bench to score 10 points and add five rebounds. UCR won the battle of the boards, 35-31, but still struggled with turnovers, committing 18 to Eastern Illinois' 13.

Jon'Tee Whillhite was the lone Panther to score in double figures, recording 14 points.

The Highlanders shot just 30.4% (7-of-23) in the first half, getting off to their second slow start in as many games as they trailed 18-5 with 9:01 remaining following a 16-2 run by the Panthers. But UCR locked down the defense and, after EIU's Bobby Catchings drained a jumper with 6:43 remaining to make it 22-10, the Panthers did not score again for the rest of the half. During the stretch, EIU missed nine field goal attempts, three free throws and committed three turnovers.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders chipped away at the lead behind the strong play of Cunningham, senior guard Dedrick Bates and freshman guard Korri Ennis, cutting the margin to one at 22-21 as the half ran out.

The Highlanders took the lead for good with 17:13 left in the game on a jumper by Bates and by the 9:04 mark had swollen the lead to 11 at 45-34 on back-to-back buckets by Cunningham. EIU regrouped and drew to within six at 54-58 with 3:04 left, but could get no closer as the Highlanders built the margin back to double figures by hitting seven-of-eight free throws in the final 1:17 before settling for a nine-point win as EIU's Romain Martin drained a consolation three at the buzzer.

It is the first time since the 2004-05 season and just the second time in the Division I era that the Highlanders have won a game this early in the season.

Highlanders Fall to Louisiana Monroe, 76-64

(Nov. 12, 2006) - The Louisiana Monroe Warhawks defeated the UC Riverside Highlanders, 76-64, in the finale for both teams at the American Family BTI Cyclone Challenge at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, IA Sunday.

The Highlanders are 1-2, while the Warhawks are 2-1.

Sophomore guard Chris Johnson had a career-high 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while senior guard Justin Bell added 14 points and junior guard Larry Cunningham had 10.

The Highlanders' poor field goal shooting and free throw shooting were the biggest problem, as UCR shot 36.7% (22-of-60) from the field and just 52.4% (11-of-21) from the free throw line. In comparison, ULM shot 45.8% from the field (27-of-59) and drained 94.1% (16-of-17) from the charity stripe. ULM won the battle of the boards, 42-36 and scored 15 second chance points, compared to UCR's four.

Lance Brasher led four Warhawks in double figures with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Tony Hooper added 15 points and Jonas Brown and Darien Bynum each had 12 points.

ULM used an 11-2 run in the midst of the first half to jump out to a 21-12 lead with 9:57 left, as the Highlanders went scoreless for a stretch of just over five minutes. The lead grew to 14 before UCR started to come back, slicing the margin to eight at the intermission at 41-33.

The Highlanders climbed to within five points at 45-40 on a trey by Justin Lott with 15:54 left, but moments later Jordan Payne answered with his own trey to build the lead back to eight. Then the Highlanders went ice cold from the field, going another five minutes without a basket as the Warhawks built their lead to 62-44 with an 11-0 run. Johnson broke the streak with a three with 9:41 left, but UCR never again got closer than double figures.

Following the tournament, Bell was named to the all-tournament team.

Highlanders Defeat Vanguard, 88-63

(Nov. 15, 2006) - Junior guard Larry Cunningham came off the bench for a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the host UC Riverside Highlanders to a 88-63 win over the Vanguard University Lions in a non-conference game in front of 387 fans at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Wednesday.

The Highlanders improved to 2-2, while the Lions fell to 1-3.

Cunningham's totals were both game highs. Sophomore forward Benoit Bekono added a career-high 18 points, 13 in the second half. Senior guard Justin Bell had a career-high 17 points, junior forward B.J. Visman had 10 points and senior guard Dedrick Bates came off the bench to score 10 in the win. The Highlanders shot (47.1%) 32-of-68 from the field and won the battle of the boards, 50-28

For the Lions, Dennis Heenan scored 15 and Kevin Dalafu scored 13. The Lions shot 38.6% (22-of-57) from the field.

The Highlanders held a 44-37 lead to open the second half, then quickly built the lead to double figures behind the play of forwards Bekono and Visman. Highlanders attacked the basket in the second half, scoring 12 of their 14 buckets from the paint. In all, the Highlanders scored 49 of their 88 points in the paint and had 29 second chance points.

Neither team could build much of an advantage early and though there were six ties in the early going, the Highlanders never trailed after the first four minutes. The score stood at 22-22 with 9:22 remaining, but the Highlanders used an 8-2 run to build the margin to six. The margin was extended to seven at 42-35 with 2:01 left on a three pointer by Cunningham, and a few moments later the teams entered the intermission with the Highlanders owning a 44-37 lead. Cunningham tallied 13 points and five rebounds off of the bench in the half, while Bell drained four threes en route to 12 points.

UCR Falls to UCI, 64-48

(Jan. 18, 2007) - The host UC Irvine Anteaters defeated the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders, 64-48 in a Big West contest at the Bren Center in Irvine Thursday.

The Highlanders are 3-16, 0-6, while the Anteaters are now 9-10, 2-3. The loss was their 14th in a row.

Freshman forward Henrik Thomsen had 10 points for the Highlanders and sophomore guard Chris Johnson had nine points for the Highlanders. UCR was 18-of-57 (31.6%) from the field and 4-of-19 (21.1%) from the three point line.

UC Irvine got 11 points each from Michael Hunter and Adam Templeton. Irvine shot 25-of-50 (50.0%) from the field. UCI won the battle of the boards 39-26.

UCI scored the first 10 points of the game as UCR failed to find the basket until the 14:55 mark on a tip-in by Charles Jim-George. UCR got to within six at 22-16 with 3:33 left, but UCI outscored the Highlanders 10-2 in the final three minutes to take a 32-18 halftime advantage.

The second half was similar, with UCI outscoring UCR 20-5 in the first eight-and-a-half minutes to build the lead to 52-23. The Highlanders outscored UCI by 13 in the rest of the half, but it was too little, too late.

Highlanders Cruise Over Hope International, 75-55

(Nov. 18, 2006) - Junior guard Larry Cunningham had his second consecutive double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds as the UC Riverside Highlanders defeated the visiting Hope International University Royals, 75-55 in a non-conference game in front of 327 fans at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Saturday.

The Highlanders improved to 3-2. The Royals, an NAIA squad, treated the game as an exhibition and remain 1-4. The Highlanders played without starting forwards Henrik Thomsen (sprained ankle) and B.J. Visman (wrist) and reserve guard Charles Jim-George (sprained ankle).

Cunningham led all scorers with 14 points and had a game-high 12 rebounds. Four other Highlanders also scored in double figures, with senior guard Justin Bell scoring 14, senior guard Dedrick Bates scoring 13, sophomore guard Chris Johnson scoring 13 and freshman center Sean Anderson tallying a career-high 10 points in 14 minutes off of the bench. UCR shot 41.2% (28-of-68) from the field and won the battle of the boards, 47-33.

Hope International's Bryan Fincham led the Royals with 13 points off of the bench and center Marko Torovic had 11 points, all in the second half after getting into early foul trouble in the first. The Royals shot 35.2% (19-of-54) from the field and committed 21 turnovers.

The Highlanders took control of the game early, using an 18-2 run to build a 23-7 lead with 11 minutes remaining. The Royals' leading scorer, Torovic, quickly found himself with three fouls and on the bench after just eight minutes of play. His absence forced the Royals to attack from the outside and they jacked up 16 treys in the half, draining just two. Overall the Royals were just 6-of-30 from the field (20%) in the half.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders played solid defense and forced 14 turnovers, tallying 16 points off of takeaways and led 47-17 entering halftime. Johnson led the team in scoring in scoring in the half with 13 points, draining three treys.

Hope International outscored the Highlanders 38-28 in the second half behind a 54.2% (13-of-24) shooting performance. UCR missed several scoring opportunities in the half, shooting just 12-of-33 (36.4%) from the field in the half.

Highlanders Suffer Costly Loss to Aztecs

(Nov. 21, 2006) - The host San Diego State Aztecs handed the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders a 79-45 defeat in front of a crowd of 5,988 fans at the Cox Arena in San Diego Tuesday.

The Highlanders fall to 3-3 while SDSU improves to 6-0.

Henrik Thomsen led the Highlanders with 13 points and Justin Bell had 12 for the Highlanders. Kyle Spain led the Aztecs with 18 points on 6-of-6 shooting and 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Brandon Heath had 10 points. The Aztecs shot 52.6% in the game (30-of-57) and won the battle of the boards, 32-21.

UCR suffered a critical loss on the court when sophomore forward Benoit Bekono suffered an apparent injury to his right knee on a drive to the basket late in the second half. Bekono was taken from the court on a stretcher and will be evaluated after the game.

The Highlanders scored the first points of the game on a Thomsen three pointer, but the Aztecs answered with 15 straight points over the next four minutes to quickly build a double-figure lead. The Aztecs entered the intermission with a 45-20 advantage, as UCR shot 31.0% from the field (9-of-29). The bright spot was the play of Thomsen, who scored nine points in the half on 4-of-8 shooting.

The Highlanders improved their defensive play in the second half, limiting the Aztecs to 41.9% shooting from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc, but the Aztecs had the game well in hand at that point.

Cunningham's 21 Not Enough in 78-75 Loss

(Nov. 25, 2006) - UC Riverside junior guard Larry Cunningham led three Highlanders in scoring with 21 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome a dreadful night at the free throw line as the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks handed the visiting Highlanders a 78-75 loss in front of 2,843 fans at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, MO Friday.

The Highlanders fall to 3-4 on the season, while the Redhawks improve to 2-3. The game was the Highlanders' return visit after SEMO came to Riverside during the 2004-05 season as a part of the Bracket Buster Tournament.

Senior guard Justin Bell had 17 points and a career-high eight assists in the game and junior forward B.J. Visman had a double-double of 13 points and 16 rebounds after having sat out the last two games with a sore wrist.. UCR hit a season-high 14 three pointers, shooting a season-best 48.3% (14-of-29) from beyond the arc. But the difference between winning and losing came at the charity stripe, as UCR was just 5-of-15 (33.3%) on free throws. Turnovers also continued to be a problem, as UCR had 20 giveaways, the fourth time this season they have reached that mark in a game.

Michael Rembert led five Southeast Missouri players in double figures, followed by Terrick Willoughby with 14. The Redhawks were little better from the line, hitting just 10-of-19 (52.6%). UCR won the battle of the boards, 44-35.

The Highlanders trailed by nine at 41-32, UCR, but rallied with four straight treys to crawl within three at the intermission, 48-45. UCR took the lead on a Cunningham trey with 12:49 left to make it 56-54, but the Redhawks fought right back, regaining the lead a few moments later and never relinquishing it.

UCR had a couple of opportunities, narrowing the margin to one at 67-66 on a three-pointer by Bell, but Rembert answered with a three to make the margin four.

Trailing by seven with 42 seconds left, Bell and Cunningham nailed back-to-back threes to make the margin one with just 15 seconds left. Following a quick foul by Bell, SEMO's Roderick Pearson hit a pair of free throws to make it 77-74. But moments later Pearson fouled Bell, sending him to the line for three charity shots with just four seconds left. Bell hit the first and the Redhawks called a timeout. The strategy worked as Bell missed his next two charity shots, and Southeast Missouri sealed the victory a few moments later with another Pearson free throw.

No. 1 Bruins Topple Highlanders, 61-38

(Dec. 3, 2006) - The number one ranked UCLA Bruins defeated the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders, 61-38 in a non-conference game in front of 8,397 fans at Pauley Pavilion in Westwood Sunday.

UCLA improved to 6-0 on the season, while the Highlanders fell to 3-5.

Freshman forward Henrik Thomsen led the Highlanders with eight points and senior guard Justin Bell had seven. Arron Affalo had a game-high 13 points for the Bruins, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

The Highlanders held the Bruins to their lowest point total of the season, while the Bruins did the same to UCR. The 38 points scored by the Highlanders ties for the ninth lowest total points in a game in UCR history and is the lowest since they scored just 37 against UC Irvine last season.

UCR trailed 46-33 with 7:29 remaining in the game, but the Bruins went on a 13-0 run to take a 59-33 lead with 3:52 left.

The Highlanders trailed 26-16 at the intermission, having shot 26.1% (6-of-23) from the field. The Bruins struggled with their shooting as well in the early going, but warmed up as the game wore on, finishing the half at 44.0% (11-of-25). The Bruins were strong in the paint, outscoring UCR 18-6.

Stephen Colvin Signs NLI to Play at UCR

(Dec. 8, 2006) -The UC Riverside Highlanders have signed 7-0, 320 pound center Stephen Colvin to a National Letter of Intent, Interim Head Coach Vonn Webb announced Friday. Colvin, a native of Yucaipa who competed at Yucaipa HS, is currently playing for Coach John Smith's Riverside City College squad.

"Stephen is a hard working, big-bodied kid. He is a strong post player with good skills and will fill a void on our team, giving us a big body who can block shots and be a force in the post," Webb said.

Colvin attended Sacramento State during the 2005-06 school year, redshirting for the Hornets. He is a 2005 graduate of Yucaipa High School where was a four-year letterwinner. He was named team MVP and was a second team all-Citrus Belt League selection his senior year after averaging 12.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks a game.

"He is a local kid who is looking forward to playing in front of his family and friends and is excited about being in our program," Webb said. "He is a hard worker on the floor and in the classroom. He is very solid academically and will have three years with us here at UCR. We are looking forward to working with him next year."

Montana Gets Free Ride Over Highlanders, 72-65

(Dec. 9, 2006) -The UC Riverside Highlanders got a game-high 19 points from senior guard Justin Bell and a career-high 14 points and six rebounds from freshman guard Charles Jim-George, but it was not enough as the host Montana Grizzles posted a 72-65 win in a non-conference game in front of 3,384 fans at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, MT Saturday.

UCR is 3-6, while Montana is 4-5.

Bell scored his 19 on 7-of-16 shooting, including five threes, leading four Highlanders in double-figures. Jim-George had his best night as a Highlander with 14 points, four coming on threes, and a pair of impressive, athletic tip-ins. Freshman forward Henrik Thomsen had 11 points and sophomore forward Christian Soto had a career-high 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds. UCR had a season-low 12 turnovers.

The Grizzlies' Jordan Hasquet had 18 points and Andrew Straight had 17 on 8-of-10 shooting.

Free throws proved to be the big difference, as UC Riverside made just four trips to the line in the game, while the Grizzlies had 25 attempts, hitting 17.

The Highlanders used an 18-8 run in the latter stages of the second half, including consecutive threes by Bell, Jim-George and Thomsen, to overcome a nine-point Montana lead and take a 62-61 advantage with 3:01 left. The Highlanders seemed to have the momentum as Andrew Strait turned the ball over, but UCR could not convert as they committed back-to-back give-aways that helped lead to six uncontested points and a 67-62 Montana lead with 50 seconds left.

Bell drained a three with 38 seconds remaining to make it 67-65, but Montana's Matt Martin drained three free throws in the final 33 seconds to put the dagger in the Highlanders' victory hopes.

The Highlanders played one of their best halves of the season in the first, leading by as many as six in the early going before finishing the half trailing by one at 37-36. Both teams shot well from inside and outside, with UCR shooting 46.7% (14-of-30) overall and 46.2% (6-of-13) from the three point line and the Grizzlies shooting 51.9% (14-of-27) overall and 50.0% (5-of-10) from the three-point line.

The Highlanders struggled to control Hasquet, who hit his first four shots, including three treys. The Grizzlies built their lead to seven with 8:56 left, but UCR came back to take a 36-34 lead with 1:08 left on a 10-foot jumper by Thomsen off of a nice pass by Soto. However, the Grizzlies took the lead on a Strait layup with two seconds left to take the lead into the intermission.

Mavericks Come From Behind to Beat UCR

(Dec. 18, 2006) - The visiting Mavericks of the University of Texas Arlington overcame a 10-point second half deficit to post a 78-77 win over the host UC Riverside Highlanders in front of 317 fans at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Monday.

UCR falls to 3-7 overall, while UTA improves to 4-5.

Freshman forward Henrik Thomsen led four Highlanders in double-figure scoring with 23 points. Senior guard Dedrick Bates had 13, senior guard Justin Bell had 10 points and five assists and sophomore guard Chris Johnson had 10 points. UCR shot 51.7% (31-of-60) from the field and hit 6-of-18 from the three point line.

UTA forward Jermaine Griffin had a game- and career- high 27 points, and Anthony Vereen added 13 while Tommy Moffitt had 10. UTA shot an even 50.0% in both halves, finishing at 31-of-62 from the field, with 47 points coming from the paint.

The Highlanders led 73-67 with 1:01 remaining, but Roderick Epps' layup and Ro'ger Guignard's three cut the score to 73-72 with 48 ticks left.

Epps' coast-to-coast layup made it 75-74 with 42 seconds left, but Cunningham took the in bounds, outran the defense and found Bates for a layup to make it 77-74 with 32.6 remaining.

On the ensuing possession, UTA's Larry Posey scored on a put-back layup with 17 seconds left. UCR called a timeout prior to the inbounds, and UTA then was able to tie-up Bell on the inbounds, forcing a jump-ball with the possession arrow pointing to UTA. Griffin then scored his final two points on a short jumper that Cunningham knocked out of the air for a goaltending call, giving them the their first lead of the half at 78-77 with 10 seconds left.

UCR had a final look at the basket with 4.5 seconds left, but Bates shot attempt missed at the buzzer.

Thomsen led all scorers with 15 points in the first half and provided a defensive spark by taking back-to-back charges in the midst of a 13-3 UCR run that turned a 28-21 UTA lead into a 34-31 UCR advantage. The Highlanders took a 38-36 lead into the intermission behind 48.5% (16-of-33) shooting. UTA held court in the paint, scoring 19 of their 29 points off of field goals from short range, shooting 50% (13-of-26) overall.

Colgate Holds On to Beat UCR, 59-56

(Dec. 21, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders rallied back from a 11-point second half deficit, but lost their second heartbreaker in a row to the visiting Colgate Raiders, 59-56, in front of 352 fans at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Thursday.

UCR to 3-8 overall, while Colgate is now 5-5.

Freshman forward Henrik Thomsen had a team-high 17 points in a full 40 minutes of play, but was the only Highlander to reach double-figures in points. Junior forward Larry Cunningham had nine points and sophomore forward Christian Soto had eight. Senior Justin Bell was 1-of-16 from the field and the Highlanders missed several scoring opportunities in the paint. UCR shot 32.8% from the field (21-of-64), their second worst percentage of the season and was 3-of-15 (20.0%) from beyond the arc.

Colgate's Kendall Chones had a career-high 23 points, shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. Willie Morse came off the bench to tally 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including three treys. Overall the Raiders shot 36.1% from the field (22-of-61).

The Raiders roared out of the gate in the second half behind Morse, who scored 10 straight points in under two minutes of play to build their lead from 26-25 to 36-27 with 14:46 remaining. The lead reached as much as 11 at 46-35 with 9:37 left, but then the Highlanders slowly began to chip away, outscoring the Raiders 15-4 to cut the margin to one at 50-49 with 3:01 left. UCR would take the lead for the first time with 1:22 left when Thomsen drilled a three pointer to make it 54-53, but the Raiders' Alex Woodhouse put them back on top with a put-back dunk with 1:01 remaining.

Morse struck again for another three to make the lead four with 21 seconds left, but Thomsen answered with a 15-footer of his own to cut the margin to two at 58-56. UCR fouled Morse with nine seconds left, but he only made one of the two charity shots. UCR got the rebound and called time-out to set up a play in hopes of tying the game, but the Raiders stifled the play, and a desperation three by Cunningham at the buzzer was well short.

Leading 18-16 on a layup by Soto, UCR went ice cold in the final 6:32 of the half, missing eight attempts and committing two turnovers. However Colgate was struggled as well and UCR hit their last five free throws to trail just 24-23 entering the half. Neither team shot well, with Colgate shooting just 9-of-30 (30.0%) while the Highlanders were just 8-of-29 (27.6%).

UCR Loses Close One to UCSB, 73-65

(Dec. 28, 2006) - UCSB guard Alex Harris scored 20 of his career- high 32 points in the second half to help the host Gauchos to a 73-65 win over the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders in front of 814 fans in the Big West at the Thunderdome in Goleta Thursday.

The Highlanders are now 3-9 overall and 0-1 in the Big West. The Gauchos are 9-3, 1-0.

Senior guard Justin Bell led the Highlanders with 17 points and had seven rebounds. Senior guardDedrick Bates had season-highs of 15 points and nine rebounds off of the bench and junior guard Larry Cunningham had 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting. UCR had just nine turnovers, their second lowest total of the season. UCR shot 43.3% (26-of-60) from the field and 44.0% (11-of-25) from the three point line.

Harris was 8-of-17 from the field, hit four threes and was 12-of-16 from the free throw line. Forward Ivan Elliott had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. In all, the Gauchos shot 45.8% (22-of-48), 40.0% (6-of-15) from the three point line.

Free throws proved to be the biggest difference in the game. UCR was charged with 25 fouls, including six in the span of 2:32 in the second half, compared to the Gauchos' 10, which led the UCSB hitting 23-of-30 (76.7%), compared to the Highlanders 2-of-4 (50.0%) from the charity stripe.

The Gauchos opened the game by scoring the first 10 points, as the Highlanders failed to find the basket for the first 4:58. Bell broke the streak with a three at 15:02, keying the Highlanders on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 10-9. UCR took the lead for the first time at 14-13 with 10:59 remaining.

In the second half, with UCR's forwards Henrik Thomsen and Christian Soto on the bench in foul trouble, the Gauchos built their lead up to eight at 57-49 with 7:07 left. But UCR came right back and tied it at 62-62 with 3:36 as Bates hit a jumper and followed it moments later with a three.

But UCSB pulled away with a 11-3 run to end the game on the strength of nine free-throws in the final 2:17, including seven by Harris.

Mustangs Hold Off Highlanders, 67-64

(Dec. 30, 2006) - The Cal Poly Mustangs held off a furious comeback by the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders to post a 67-64 win in a Big West Conference game in front of of 1,821 fans at Mott Gym in San Luis Obispo Saturday.

The Highlanders are now 3-10 overall and 0-2 in the Big West. Cal Poly is 6-6 and 1-1 in the Big West.

Sophomore guard Chris Johnson led the Highlanders with 14 points, freshman forward Henrik Thomsen had 13 points and senior guard Justin Bell had 12 points, all coming on three pointers. UCR shot 44.2% (23-of-52) from the field, 45.5% (10-of-22) from the three point line and 53.3% (8-of-15) from the free throw line. The Highlanders outrebounded Cal Poly, 33-32, but committed 20 turnovers in the game, the first time since the loss at Southeast Missouri State that they have reached that level.

Cal Poly's Tyler McGinn led his squad with 18 points and Derek Stockalper and Titus Shelton each had 13. The Mustangs shot 46.6% (27-of-58) from the field, 38.1% (8-of-21) from the three point line and 45.5% (5-of-11) from the free throw line.

The game was tied 61-61 with 4:58 left, but Cal Poly scored the next two baskets to take a 65-61 lead. The Highlanders, who went over four minutes without scoring, got a three pointer by Larry Cunningham with 42.9 seconds left to make the score 65-64. Stockalper gave the Mustangs a 67-64 lead with a layup with 24 seconds remaining.

UCR had a pair of opportunities to tie, as Johnson missed a three with seven seconds left, then chased down his own rebound and threw up a desperation three with four seconds left that was long and the Mustangs held on to win.

Cal Poly led by nine at 57-48 with 9:33 left, but UCR came back with an 11-2 run to tie the game at 59-59 with 5:30 remaining. However, the Highlanders could never take the lead away from the Mustangs.

The Mustangs led by as many as six in the first half, the last time at 23-17 with 5:06 remaining, but UCR went on a 10-1 run to take the lead at 27-24 with just under a minute left. UCR led 29-26 with 15 seconds left on a pair of Korri Ennis free throws, but McGinn's trey with six seconds left sent the game into the intermission tied at 29-29.

Though UCR had just one fewer turnover in the half (12-11), the Highlanders were able to better capitalize, scoring 12 off of the giveaways to the Mustangs' six. However, Cal Poly held a 6-0 edge in second chance points, despite the rebound totals being tied at 17. The Highlanders shot 40.7% (11-of-27) from the floor and the Mustangs were 42.9% (12-of-28). The Mustangs led by as many as six in the first half, the last time at 23-17 with 5:06 remaining, but UCR went on a 10-1 run to take the lead at 27-24 with just under a minute left.

"I would like to thank the UCR Athletics family for their support during this difficult time in my life," Spencer said. "It is clear that it is in the best interests of both myself, my family, and the UCR Basketball program for me to step away and to focus on regaining my strength and health. It is disappointing that my illness will prevent me from the opportunity of coaching such an outstanding group of young men, while representing this university."

"I understand that there will be many questions regarding my medical leave, but I request that the public respect my family's privacy during this difficult time in our lives," Spencer added.

Spencer is entering his second year as head coach. The Highlanders went 5-23 in a rebuilding season in 2005-06. UCR opens play on Monday, November 6th as they host Cal State Dominguez Hills in an exhibition game in the PE Gym at 7:00 p.m.

Johnson Has Career High but UCR Falls to UTEP

(Jan. 2, 2007) - Sophomore guard Chris Johnson had a career night, but it wasn't enough as the UC Riverside Highlanders lost their ninth consecutive game Tuesday when they dropped a 95-55 decsion to the host UTEP Miners in a non-conference game at the Haskins Center in El Paso.

The Highlanders are now 3-11 overall, while UTEP improves to 8-6.

Johnson accounted for more than half of the Highlanders points with a career-high 28 points of off the bench, hitting six three pointers. He was 10-of-16 overall and 6-of-9 from the three point line. Senior guard Dedrick Bates and freshman forward Henrik Thomsen each had 11 points. The other seven Highlander players accounted for only five points.

Dale Vanwright and Stefon Jackson each had 18 points for the Miners. The Miners shot 53.6 percent from the field and made 13-of-15 free-throw attempts in the first half, taking a 46-28 lead into the break. The Miners won the battle on the boards, 42-24, including a 15-6 advantage on the offensive glass.

Senior guard Justin Bell did not play with a strained right foot.

UCR Falls to UOP, 62-49

(Jan. 4, 2007) - The University of the Pacific Tigers used a second-half scoring surge to propel them to a 62-49 win over the host UC Riverside Highlanders in a Big West Conference game in front of 1,183 fans at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Thursday.

The Highlanders are now 3-12, 0-3 in the Big West. UOP improves to 5-9, 2-0.

Anthony Brown led the Tigers with his fourth double-double of the season of 18 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, and Steffan Johnson had 15 points, including four three pointers. Anthony Esparza had 10 points.

UCR was led by junior guard Larry Cunningham's 13 points, while sophomore guard Chris Johnson had 11 before leaving midway through the second half with cramps. Freshman forward Henrik Thomsen had 10 points for UCR.

The Tigers used an extended zone in the second half that effectively nullified UCR's outside shooting game. UCR shot 34.0% overall (18-of-53), including 18.2% (2-of-11) from the three-point line in the second half and 20.0% (5-of-25) overall. The Tigers shot 53.3% (24-of-45) from the field and a season-high 64.7% (11-of-17) in the second half.

The Highlanders trailed by just four at 48-44 with 6:45 left, but the Tigers caught a break when Johnson hit a three and UCR's Charles Jim-George was hit for a foul away from the ball. The Tigers scored on the next possession and the lead ballooned to nine. UCR got back to within six at 55-49, but Reggie Vezia's trey and four straight free throws in the last 39 seconds ballooned the lead to final margin to 13.

The first half was fast paced, with the Tigers taking a 30-26 lead into the intermission. Both teams played clean basketball, with no fouls being called over the first 11:52 and just four in the half. In addition, the teams combined for just nine turnovers, four for UOP and five for UCR. Cunningham led the highlanders with 12 points, while Brown had eight points and eight rebounds for the Tigers.

After trailing by seven at 16-9 with 9:42 left, the Highlanders went on a 9-2 run to tie the score at 18-18 with 5:51 left. But the Tigers answered with an 8-0 run with of their own to build the lead to 26-18. The Highlanders cut the lead to four at the buzzer as Cunningham drained a three from the corner in the final seconds.

CSUN Holds Off UCR, 67-60

(Jan. 6, 2007) - The visiting Cal State Northridge Matadors held off the surging UC Riverside Highlanders to post a 67-60 win in a Big West Conference game in front of 593 fans at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Saturday.

The Highlanders are now 3-13, 0-4 in the Big West. Northridge is 7-7, 1-2.

Senior guard Justin Bell led the Highlanders in scoring with 17 points, and sophomore guard Chris Johnson had 15 off of the bench. Freshman guard Charles Jim-George had 12 points. As a team, the Highlanders shot 34.0% (17-of-50) from the field and 35.7% (10-of-28) from the three-point line. Free throws proved to be a problem for UCR, as they hit just 16-of-25 (64.0%), below their season average.

Terrell Jones led the Matadors with 16 points and added 10 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end. Thomas Shewmake had eight points and 11 defensive rebounds. Jonathan Heard had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and outrebounded UCR 46-25. The Matadors shot 45.5% (25-of-55) from the field, 33.3% (5-of-15) from the three point line and just 60.0% (12-of-20) from the free throw line.

With the Matadors leading leading 60-55, Bell rebounded a Shewmake miss and ran the length of the court, before dishing it off to Johnson for a layup that made it 60-57. But at the other end Jones pulled down his eighth offensive rebound of the game off of a miss by Jason Hill and put it back to put the lead back to five at 62-57 with under a minute to go. UCR was then forced to foul in attempts to get back in the game, but the Matadors hit three of four to make it 65-60. Freshman forward Henrik Thomsen drained a three, his first basket of the game with 13.2 seconds left, but Heard hit a pair of free throws to close it out.

The Highlanders tied the score three times in the second half, but each time the Highlanders made a run the Matadors would hit a clutch shot to regain the lead.

The teams entered the intermission tied at 34-34. Cal State Northridge led the Highlanders by as many as eight in the first half, the last time at 25-17 with 8:08 remaining. UCR came back with a 12-4 run, including a pair of threes and a pair of free throws by Charles Jim-George to tie the score at 29-29. Northridge dominated the boards in the first half, 21-10 and had 12 second chance points, compared to none for UCR. However, UCR forced the Matadors into 11 turnovers and converted 15 points off of the give-aways.

USD Defeats UCR, 78-62

(Jan. 10, 2007) -The University of San Diego Toreros hit 23-of-29 second half free throws to help them break open a two-point halftime lead and post a 78-62 win over the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders in a non-conference game at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego Wednesday.

The Toreros are now 10-6 on the season, while the Highlanders are 3-14. The loss was their twelfth in a row.

UCR sophomore guard Chris Johnson had a game-high 25 points and junior guard Larry Cunningham had 15 points off of the bench. UCR shot 38.1% from the field (24-of-63) and were 26.3% (5-of-19) from the three-point line.

Gyno Pomare had a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds for USD, hitting 8-of-8 free throws, Nir Cohen had 13 points and Brandon Johnson added 10 points. In all the Toreros were 26-of-35 from the line, while the Highlanders were 9-of-14.

The Toreros hit 14-of-15 shots from the free throw line in the first 7:45 of the second half, taking advantage of some sloppy Highlander defense to inflate a two-point halftime lead to a 10-point margin at 50-40 with 12:15 remaining. Cohen then reeled off 11 straight points over a three-and-a-half minute span to lead USD on an 11-5 run that made the score 61-45 and put the game out of reach.

The Highlanders led by seven at 14-7 with 12:52 left in the first half, but the Toreros came back to erase the margin and take a 20-18 lead. The teams traded the lead back and forth, but UCR led 28-24 with 4:29 left. However, the Highlanders got just one basket in the last four and a half minutes, while the Toreros tallied eight points to take a 32-30 lead into the intermission. Johnson led all scorers with 10 points in the half, while Pomare led the way for USD with eight.

UCR Falls to CS Fullerton, 98-58

(Jan. 13, 2007) - The Cal State Fullerton Titans posted a 98-58 win over visiting UC Riverside in a Big West conference game at Titan Gym in Fullerton Saturday.

The Highlanders are 3-15, 0-5, while the Titans improved to 13-3, 4-1.

UCR sophomore guard Chris Johnson had a team-high 19 points, 17 in the second half, and freshman forward Henrik Thomsen had 10 points, shooting 1-of-9 from the field but 8-of-8 from the free throw line. The Titans had six players score in double figures and a trio of double-doubles by Justin Burns (19 points, 14 rebounds), Scott Cutley (10 points, 13 rebounds) and Bobby Brown (14 points, 10 assists). The Titans won the battle of the boards, 56-31.

The Highlanders shot 20.6% in the first half, hitting seven of their 34 shots and none of their eight three-point attempts. The Titans were at a 48.7% clip (19-of-39) and had a double-double by Burns of 15 points and 10 rebounds at the intermission. UCR trailed 15-10 with 11:34 remaining, but didn't score for the next 6:20 as the Titans went on an 18-0 run that put the game out of reach.

The second half saw the Highlanders improve to 38.2% shooting, but the Titans also improved, hitting 65.6% from the field.

Freshman guard Charles Jim-George started but played just a minute before straining his left ankle. He did not return.

UCR Drops 99-65 Decision to LBSU

(Jan. 20, 2007) - The Long Beach State 49ers overpowered the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders, 99-65 in a Big West contest at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach Saturday.

The Highlanders are 3-17, 0-7, while the 49ers are 13-5, 4-1.

UCR had three players in double figures, led by sophomore guard Chris Johnson's 16 points. Junior guard Larry Cunningham had 13 points and sophomore forward Christian Soto had 10. The Highlanders shot 44.6% (25-of-56) overall and 27.8% (5-of-18) from the three point line. UCR committed 20 turnovers, the seventh time this season they have reached that mark, and were outrebounded 38-28.

LBSU's Kevin Houston led all scorers with 17 points. The 49ers had six players score in double figures, including Dominique Ricks (15), Aaron Nixon (14), and Kejuan Johnson (12). The 49ers shot 56.5% (39-of-69) from the field and hit 46.7% (7-of-15) from the three point line.

The Highlanders shot 51.9% (14-of-27) in the first half, but the 49ers were even better at a 62.9% clip (22-of-35). LBSU dominated the boards 18-9, with nine offensive rebounds leading to to several easy put-back baskets, including one by Dominique Ricks at the buzzer of the half that made it 54-33.

The game was tied 8-8 at the 16:30 mark, but Long Beach pulled away, using a 13-2 run to make it 29-14 at the 8:27 mark.

The Highlanders committed seven turnovers in the first 5:22 of the second half as the 49ers' lead grew to 69-39 with 14:38 left. The remainder of the game was somewhat fast and loose, with LBSU clearing their bench with about five minutes remaining.

UCR Breaks Streak With 70-50 Win Over UC Davis

(Jan. 27, 2007) - The host UC Riverside Highlanders snapped a 15-game losing streak Saturday with a 70-50 win over the visiting UC Davis Aggies in a non-conference game in front of 928 fans at the Student Recreation Center in Riverside Saturday.

The win was the Highlanders first since November 18, 2006 when they defeated Hope International University, 75-55. UCR is now 4-17 overall while UC Davis, who will join the Big West next season, is now 4-15.

Sophomore guard Chris Johnson led all scorers with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including a game-high three treys. Junior guard Larry Cunningham had one of his best all-around games with 16 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists, and freshman forward Henrik Thomsen had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Christian Soto narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Justin Bell had nine assists to go with his six points and five rebounds. UCR shot 44.1% overall (26-of-59) and outrebounded the Aggies, 39-30.

The Aggies' Thomas Juillerat had team highs of 17 points and 7 rebounds to lead his squad. Davis was 37.5% from the field (18-of-48) and committed 18 turnovers.

The Highlanders outscored the Aggies 38-24 in the second half, building their lead to as many as 24 at 68-44 with 2:24 left.

UCR led by 16 at 48-32 following a 6-0 run that was keyed by Cunningham. He first picked a bad pass out of a double-team went went the distance for a dunk, then moments later took another pass and went coast-to-coast for a layup to make it 46-32 with 12:35 left. The lead became 16 when Thompsen hit a jumper following another Davis give-away.

The Highlanders took a 32-26 lead into the intermission behind Johnson's 12 points, with 10 of them coming consecutively in a span of just over three minutes as the Highlanders turned a 15-15 tie into a 25-18 lead with 5:05 remaining. UCR got off to another slow start, scoring just one field goal in the first five and a half minutes, but the Aggies couldn't take advantage of UCR's cold shooting and the teams found themselves tied at 12-12 with 12:26 remaining.

UCR to Travel to Idaho to Face Vandals as Part of BracketBusters

(Jan. 30, 2007) - The pairings for the second annual BracketBusters Tournament were announced Tuesday, with UC Riverside selected to take on former Big West Conference member Idaho on Saturday, February 17 in Moscow.

The Vandals will then return the visit to UC Riverside next fall.

Idaho is 3-17 in the WAC this season and has won just two home games this season. The Vandals have defeated South Dakota State twice and Hawai'i in a WAC game on January 18. Keoni Watson leads the Vandals in scoring at 17.5 points per game and Darin Nagle is second at 11.3 points per game. George Pfeifer is in his first year as head coach with the Vandals, having come to the program after spending 16 years at Lewis-Clark State College. Idaho holds a 7-2 record over the Highlanders dating back to 2002.

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