Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors @ UC Riverside Highlanders
Hawaii opens big lead, holds off UC Riverside 72-63
RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Jack Purchase and Sheriff Drammeh scored 15 points apiece, Brocke Stepteau had 14 and Hawaii defeated UC Riverside 72-63 on Thursday night after losing most of a 20-point halftime lead.
Hawaii scored 19-straight points and closed the first half on a 25-1 run to lead 38-18. The Rainbow Warriors made 7 of 11 3-pointers and 15 of 27 shots overall in the first half while Riverside was 7 of 26 and 2 of 9.
Then the Highlanders got hot, making 18 of 24 shots in the second half. They had runs of 10-0, 10-1 and 8-0 to make it 55-51 with 6:12 remaining.
But after Dikymbe Martin's 3-pointer at 1:18 made it 64-61 with 1:18 left, Stepteau found Gibson Johnson alone inside. Then the Warriors made six straight free throws in the final 22.1 seconds, four by Stepteau, to seal it.
Hawai'i (10-11, 3-4 Big West) is on the mainland for just the second time this season and lost to Riverside 70-64 eight days earlier.
Martin had 21 points and Chance Murray 15 for the Highlanders (6-13, 4-4)
Game Information
Riverside, CA
Referee:Donn Berdahl
Referee:Daryl Gelinas
Referee:Deldre Carr
2025-26 Standings
| Big West ConferenceBig West Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Irvine | 15-5 | - | 23-12 |
| Hawai'i | 14-6 | 1 | 24-9 |
| UC San Diego | 12-8 | 3 | 23-11 |
| Cal State Northridge | 12-8 | 3 | 20-14 |
| Cal State Fullerton | 12-8 | 3 | 18-16 |
| UC Davis | 11-9 | 4 | 19-14 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 11-9 | 4 | 18-14 |
| Cal Poly | 10-10 | 5 | 14-19 |
| Long Beach State | 6-14 | 9 | 10-22 |
| UC Riverside | 5-15 | 10 | 10-22 |
| Cal State Bakersfield | 2-18 | 13 | 8-24 |
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