RIVERSIDE, Calif. — On a special Alumni Appreciation Night, Barrington Hargress delivered a record-breaking 40-point performance to lead UC Riverside past UC San Diego 85-81 on Thursday at the SRC Arena. The Highlanders improved to 11-8 overall and 4-3 in Big West play.

The evening also featured a celebration of 3x World Series Champion Joe Kelly and his wife, Ashley Kelly, both proud UC Riverside alumni, who were honored for their achievements and continued support of the Highlanders.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Hargress shot an impressive 14-for-22 from the field, including 5-for-8 from three-point range, and went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. His 40 points set a new UC Riverside Division I single-game scoring record.
• Nate Pickens added 15 points, hitting 4 of 6 three-pointers, and pulled down five rebounds, while Joel Armotrading recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
• UC Riverside jumped out to a 44-35 halftime lead, shooting 58.6% from the field in the first half. Despite a late push from UC San Diego, the Highlanders' clutch free-throw shooting, including two by Kaleb Smith in the final seconds, sealed the victory.

NOTABLES

• Hargress's 40 points surpassed the previous UC Riverside Division I single-game scoring record.
• Armotrading's 12 points and 14 rebounds marked his first double-double of the season.
• The Highlanders capitalized on 19 second-chance points from 12 offensive rebounds and shot 50.8% from the field for the game.
• Alumni Appreciation Night brought together Highlander greats, highlighted by the recognition of Joe Kelly, a three-time World Series Champion, his wife Ashley Kelly, and former men's basketball student-athlete Kyle Owens.

FROM COACH MIKE MAGPAYO

• "Tonight, we showed incredible resilience. We led most of the game and were challenged as a team to respond to their second-half run. As a program, we've been emphasizing the importance of staying connected and persevering through opponents' runs. I thought we did that tonight."
• "Barrington Hargress had a special performance. We challenged him this past week, and he responded in a big way. We also had some under-the-radar contributions. Nate Pickens scored 15 points and, more importantly, held McGhie to just four points. Joel being back at full strength and coming through with a double-double was exactly what we needed."
• "For the guys to find a way to win on a night when we were honoring Joe and Ashley Kelly, with all the alumni in the house including Kyle Owens, is a moment they can forever be proud of."

UP NEXT

• UC Riverside is back in the SRC Arena next week to face UC Irvine on Thursday, January 23rd, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m. as the Highlanders look to build on their momentum in Big West play.