Wednesday, March 5th, 10:00 p.m. (et).

FACTS & STATS: Site: Student Recreation Center Gym (3,168) -- Riverside, California. Television: None. Home Record: Pacific 11-3, UC Riverside 7-4. Away Record: Pacific 7-5, UC Riverside 0-15. Neutral Record: Pacific 2-1, UC Riverside 0-0. Conference Record: Pacific 10-5, UC Riverside 3-11. Series Record: Pacific leads, 12-1.

GAME NOTES: Big West Conference foes at total opposite ends of the spectrum are set to collide in California tonight, as the UC Riverside Highlanders host the Pacific Tigers. Pacific comes in with a 20-9 overall ledger, and the Tigers have reeled off three straight wins. The club's most recent success, a 68-47 rout at Cal Poly, gave the Tigers a 10-5 mark in Big West play. As for UC Riverside, it owns a dismal 7-19 record, and has suffered setbacks in two straight and four of its last six bouts overall. The Highlanders dropped a 73-55 decision at UC Santa Barbara last Saturday to fall to a miserable 3-11 in league play. Pacific owns a commanding 12-1 advantage over UCR in the all-time series.

The Tigers connected nearly 50 percent of their field goal attempts in Saturday's 21-point victory at Cal Poly, and they held the Mustangs to just 40.0 percent. Pacific forced 14 turnovers, which translated into 19 points. Steffan Johnson posted a game-high 22 points to lead Pacific in the win, while Casey Neimeyer added 13 points to go with five rebounds off the bench for the Tigers. Anthony Brown chipped in 10 points and grabbed six rebounds in the victory. The Tigers are shooting at a solid 49.2 percent clip this season and post 73.0 ppg as a result. Defensively, Pacific is holding opponents to just 43.2 percent shooting from the field and 67.0 ppg. Johnson leads the club with 14.9 ppg, and he is joined in double figures by Chad Troyer with his 13.2 ppg. Brown leads the team on the glass (7.2 rpg) and has contributed a respectable 10.8 ppg as well.

The Highlanders shot just 41.5 percent from the floor, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc, in Saturday's 18-point loss to UCSB. UC Riverside was guilty of 15 turnovers, and the Highlanders allowed UCSB to shoot 53.1 percent from the field. Larry Cunningham scored 19 points to pace UCR, while Jalonni Diggs chipped in 10 points in the losing effort. UCR is shooting just 41.6 percent from the floor as a team this season, and as a result averages just 59.2 ppg. Cunningham checks in as the lone Highlander with a double-digit scoring average, tallying 15.9 ppg.

Pacific is having a real nice season and is set for a deep run in the upcoming BWC Tournament. UCR, on the other hand, has had a rough go of it this year, and will likely lose yet again, despite playing at home.

Predicted Outcome

Pacific 78, UC Riverside 58