Spencer new UC-Riverside basketball coach

RIVERSIDE, Calif., March 21 (UPI) -- David Spencer was named basketball coach Monday at UC-Riverside.

Spencer succeeds longtime Coach John Masi, who retired March 7 after 26 years with a 462-269 record.

UCR was a basketball power at the Division-II level, before moving up to Division-I play beginning with the 2000-01 season. Since then the Highlanders have posted a 42-89 record.

This past season, the Highlanders were 9-19, including 4-14 in the Big West Conference.

Spencer, 55, has been UC-Riverside's academic coordinator since July of 2001.

During his coaching career, Spencer has been at Colorado State, Pacific, Loyola Marymount, Hawaii, Long Beach State, Nevada and USC, where he served seven years as associate head basketball coach.