BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The UC Riverside Highlanders battled through seven ties and 11 lead changes to edge the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners 83-79 in a thrilling Big West matchup on Thursday night at the Icardo Center. The Highlanders improved to 13-8 overall and 6-3 in conference play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Barrington Hargress led the Highlanders with 22 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line. He also added six assists and two rebounds.
• Nate Pickens contributed 13 points, including seven clutch free throws, while Kaleb Smith added 13 points and five rebounds.
• Isaiah Moses scored 12 points while he led the Highlanders in assists, finding his teammates for three assists on the game. 
• Joel Armotrading controlled the boards with nine rebounds and scored six points, helping UC Riverside to a 32-27 rebounding advantage.
• The game remained close throughout, with UC Riverside taking a slim 41-44 deficit into halftime before outscoring CSU Bakersfield 42-35 in the second half. The Highlanders sealed the win with key defensive stops and clutch free throws in the final minute.

• "Our coaching staff agreed that this was one of our best wins of the year," said Coach Mike Magpayo. "We hadn't won here in three years, and this opponent, along with this environment, is one of the toughest to play in across the league. They were 7-1 at home this season, which speaks to how challenging this game was."
• "We talked before the game about the importance of fighting through any adversity that came our way, and our guys showed incredible resilience. They battled back from a double-digit deficit and executed brilliantly down the stretch."
• "This team has been growing all year, and their poise is what is standing out here in the early stages of Big West play," Magpayo added.

• Hargress's 22 points marked his 12th 20+ point game of the season.
• As Moses led the team in assist, tonight marked his 13^th double-digit scoring game this season as he shot an impressive .500 from the field and .667 from beyond the arc.
• The Highlanders shot an efficient 49.1% from the field and 82.1% from the free-throw line, including 14-for-17 in the second half.
• UC Riverside scored 30 points in the paint and added 12 second-chance points off 13 offensive rebounds.
• The Highlanders' last win over the Roadrunners in Bakersfield came three years ago on January 15, 2022, with a close 65-64 victory.

• UC Riverside returns home to face UC Davis on Thursday, January 30th, with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m., followed by a matchup against Cal Poly on Saturday, February 1st, at 5:00 p.m., both at the SRC Arena.