Box Score

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - A short-handed University of Hawai`i men's basketball team dropped its third straight road game with 79-62 non-conference loss Saturday night at the UCR Student Recreation Center. It was the first-ever meeting between the programs, which were paired together earlier this month as part of the O'Reilly's ESPNU BracketBusters pool.

Larry Cunningham scored a season-high 31 points to lead the Highlanders (7-17) to its second straight home win. Cunningham become the school's all-time leading scorer in the win with nearly 1400 career points. Hawai`i, meanwhile, dropped to 11-14 on the season.

All five UH starters finished in double-figures, but with starting point guard Matt Gibson sidelined due to injury, UH failed to find a rhythm all game. Kareem Nitoto, starting in place of Gibson, scored a career-high 13 points, while Riley Luettgerodt also finished with 13. Bobby Nash poured in 12 and Jared Dillinger and Bill Amis each contributed 10.

Expect for a brief one-point UH lead five minutes into the game, UCR held control for the entire game. UCR made its move midway through the first half going on a 13-2 run that gave the Highlanders its first double-digit lead of the game. UH cut the lead to six points but the `Bows went without a field goal in the final 6:24 of the half. UH made just six field goals in the first half and trailed by 14 points, 34-20 at the break.

UCR extended its lead to 17 points early in the second half and UH would get no closer than eight points the rest of the way. With UH trying to make a surge in the final minutes, the Highlanders sealed the game at the free throw line where they scored 15 of their final 17 points.

The Highlanders shot 57 percent for the game and 62 percent in the second half. Cunningham, who scored 16 of the first 22 points to jumpstart his team, made 10 of his 15 field goal attempts and all eight of his free throws.

UH was able to get to the line 30 times and converted 25 free throws against an aggressive UCR defense. But UH scored just 20 first-half points, its second-lowest output of the season and could never dig out of its halftime deficit.

UH next returns to conference play and its final home stand of the year. Hawai`i hosts Idaho on Thursday, Feb. 28. Tipoff is 7:05 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.

 

 

 

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