RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Riverside returned from a week off on Saturday afternoon at the SRC Arena, battling back from another double-digit deficit against UC San Diego for a 72-65 win against the Tritons for a season sweep. 

UCR started slow offensively, but began to creep back on the Tritons' heels once the threes began to fall. Luke Turner and Zyon Pullin connected from deep to keep the Highlanders within striking distance before the Highlanders outscored their counterparts 16-7 down the stretch. UC Riverside took a 39-37 halftime lead after Lachlan Olbrich's putback at the buzzer. 

Turner led the Highlanders off the bench with five points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Pullin returned to his usual self in Saturday's matinee, scoring 15 points at halftime and finished with a game-high 23 on 9-of-15 shooting for his eighth 20-point game of the season and first since New Year's Eve at Long Beach State. Jhaylon Martinez added solid hustle down low for the Highlanders in the form of four rebounds and two steals. 

Momentum shifted to the other bench in the second half as UCR continually maintained a two- and three-possession cushion, thanks to Lachlan Olbrich dropping in 10 of his 14 points after halftime. UC Riverside nearly doubled up the Tritons on points in the paint with a 44-26 advantage, in addition to the Highlanders' ninth 10+ rebound margin of the season. 

UC San Diego pulled to within four at the 11:11 mark of the second half, but inside game from Olbrich, Pullin and Vladimer Salaridze pushed the Highlander lead back to double digits. Flynn Cameron went above 10 points for the seventh time in Big West play and fourth straight game with 12 points and a game-high seven rebounds. 

The Highlanders are headed back out on the road, starting on Thursday, February 2 with a 7:00 p.m. tipoff at CSU Bakersfield on ESPN+.