Warrior Insider

Zyon Pullin scored a game-high 24 points and Lachlan Olbrich added 13 points tonight to help visiting UC Riverside rally past Hawai’i, 54-52, in a key Big West Conference showdown.

A spirited and appreciative crowd of 3,586 in SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the Warriors hold the Highlanders to just 14 points in the first half but then squander an 11-point lead in the second half to fall to 20-9 overall and 11-6 in league play. Bernardo da Silva led UH with 15 points, Kamaka Hepa added 14 points and eight rebounds and Noel Coleman contributed 10 points.

UCR improved to 20-10 and 13-5.

The Warriors led 25-14 at halftime, holding the Highlanders to just 19.4 percent (6 of 31) shooting, including 0 for 10 from 3-point range. The Warriors also out-rebounded UCR, 25 to 17, and held the Highlanders scoreless in the final five and a half minutes.

Hawai’i led, 31-20, after Noel Coleman’s layup four minutes into the second half, but UCR chipped away and later used a 16-7 run to grab the lead at 40-38 on Pullin’s 3-pointer from beyond the top of the key with seven minutes remaining. Hepa immediately answered with a 3-pointer to put the Warriors up, 41-40, but that would be the their last lead as Flynn Cameron responded with a 3-pointer to ignite a 9-2 run that pushed the Highlanders ahead, 49-43, with 3:23 left.

UH had a chance to tie it with 1.5 seconds remaining, but Hepa missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and UCR grabbed the rebound to run out the clock.