UC Riverside Falls to Santa Clara in First-Ever NIT Appearance

Tuesday, March 18

Santa Clara, Calif.

8:00 PM

University of California, Riverside

21-13,14-6Big West

101

Santa Clara

21-12,12-6WCC

Team	1	2	F
UC Riverside	33	29	62
Santa Clara	44	57	101

UC Riverside Falls to Santa Clara in First-Ever NIT Appearance

3/18/2025 11:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The UC Riverside Highlanders made history with its first-ever appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) but fell to Santa Clara 101-62 in the opening round on Tuesday night at the Leavey Center. The Highlanders wrapped up their milestone season at 21-13 overall and 14-6 in Big West play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Nate Pickens led UC Riverside with 15 points, shooting 5-for-12 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line while adding four assists.
Barrington Hargress recorded seven points and a team-high five assists, while Kaleb Smith added seven points and four rebounds.
Isaiah Moses contributed six points and three assists, and Joel Armotrading contributed with six points, four rebounds, and a block.
The Highlanders stayed competitive in the first half, shooting 43.3% from the field and trailing 44-33 at halftime.
Santa Clara took over in the second half, outscoring UC Riverside 57-29 while shooting 70% from the field and 81.8% from three-point range after the break.

NOTABLES

This was UC Riverside's first-ever NIT appearance, marking a major milestone for the program.
Hargress finished the season with 686 total points, solidifying his single-season scoring record.
Pickens finished in double figures for the 16th time this season.
UC Riverside's bench provided 21 points, with key contributions from Rikus Schulte (9 points) and Niyi Olabode (6 points).

SEASON WRAP-UP

UC Riverside concludes the 2024-25 campaign with its first-ever NIT appearance and a 21-win season, further solidifying its place as a rising program under head coach Mike Magpayo. The Highlanders will now shift their focus to the offseason, looking to build on this year's success and continue making program history.