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GAME NOTES: The annual BracketBusters event continues tonight in the Golden State, as the Youngstown State Penguins pay a visit to the UC Riverside Highlanders.

The Penguins come in not in the best of shape, as they are in the midst of a six-game swoon. Their most recent outing, last Monday against Milwaukee, resulted in a 64-62 setback, dropping the team to 8-18 overall and 2-14 in the Horizon League.

As for UC Riverside, it enters this contest on the high as it posted a 74-57 victory over UC Irvine on Wednesday night. The victory improved the Highlanders' Big West Conference ledger to 4-9, tying them with the Anteaters at the moment. Having beaten UCI twice this season, the Highlanders own the tiebreaker, and currently control their own destiny over the final three conference games of the season as it pertains to the upcoming conference tournament.

This matchup marks the first-ever meeting between these two programs on the hardwood.

YSU shot just 40.4 percent from the field, which includes a 4-of-15 showing from three-point range in last Monday's two-point loss at Milwaukee. The Penguins also converted just 12-of-19 attempts at the charity stripe, and the squad was bested in the battle on the boards by a 46-36 margin. DeAndre Mays poured in a game-high 23 points in the losing effort, while Vytas Sulskis tallied 12 points to go with five rebounds. Putting up 67.2 ppg for the season, the Penguins currently boast four players with double-digit scoring averages, with Mays and his 14.6 ppg leading the way. Sulskis is next with 11.1 ppg, while Sirlester Martin checks in at 10.2 points ppg and Kelvin Bright adds 10.0 ppg.

The Highlanders got double-doubles from both Kyle Austin and Larry Gurganious in Wednesday's victory over UCI, as Austin finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds and Gurganious registered 12 points and 13 boards. UCR shot just 39.3 percent from the field, but held the Anteaters to an even worse 37.7 percent. The Highlanders also committed just seven turnovers in the win, and dominated the glass by 47-31 margin. On the season, UCR is netting just 63.7 ppg thanks to a rather uninspired 41.6 percent shooting effort. As a result, the club currently boasts just one player with a double-digit scoring average, as Austin nets 18.3 ppg. Austin also head the team's rebounding effort with 7.2 rpg, while Gurganious helps out with his 8.1 points and 6.9 boards per outing.

Give the edge to UCR in this one, as the Highlanders have much more to play for than do the Penguins at this point. Wednesday night's big win and the hometown faithful should have the Highlanders amped.