MANILA, Philippines — Filipino coach Mike Magpayo continues to enjoy success as the head coach of the UC Riverside Highlanders in the US NCAA.
This after UC Riverside scored two big wins against Big West Conference opponents Cal Poly Mustangs during the weekend.
The Highlanders bounced back from a close 62-67 non-conference loss against the USC Trojans in overtime last Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time) with a whopping 25-point beating of the Mustangs in their first meeting on Friday (Saturday in Manila).
After trailing by one, 36-37, at the end of the first quarter, Magpayo's Highlanders scored 50 points and limited their opponents to only 14 in the second period to end up with the lopsided win, 86-51.
With clear momentum on their side, UC Riverside reasserted their dominance the next day, fashioning out a 70-53 win to move up to 6-3 in the season.
The Highlanders have only lost twice this season with Magpayo at the sidelines with their first loss happening with the Filipino coach absent due to the birth of his first born.
The 41-year-old's UC Riverside is currently fourth in the Big West with a 3-1 conference record.
Magpayo is the first-ever coach of Asian descent to be a head coach in the US NCAA Division I.