RIVERSIDE, Calif.  —  In a roller coaster of a game, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team pulled off a heart-stopping 76-73 win over UC Riverside Saturday at the SRC Arena. Noel Coleman tied his career-high 31 points, including a number of clutch shots down the stretch to lift UH to a key road win. 

The win over UCR, coupled by losses from UC Santa Barbara and CSUN, catapulted the Rainbow Warriors (17-12, 9-9) into sole possession of fifth-place (fourth seed) and in the driver's seat for a bye in the upcoming Big West Championship in Henderson, Nev. The win also completed a season sweep of the Highlanders (13-17, 8-10), the first by either team in the series in 10 years.     

Coleman scored 17 of his points in the second half and overtime and finished with five three-pointers and eight rebounds. Bernardo da Silva chipped in 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks, while Justin McKoy was also one rebound short of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.  

Nate Pickens led UCR with 16 points, while Barrington Hargress added 15 points, including four key points in the final minute of regulation to help force overtime. 

UH used a 16-2 run to take a six-point lead into the locker room and built its lead to as many as 10 points in the second half. A da Silva dunk had UH up 60-55 with three minutes remaining. But the Highlanders wouldn't fold and went on a 7-0 run to take a 62-60 lead on a pair of Hargress free throws with 1:22, it's first lead since the first half. 

Coleman responded with his own five-point run and his three-pointer with 40 seconds left put UH back up 65-62. UCR got a free throw from Pickens, who missed his next attempt, but got his own rebound and fed Kyle Owens who scored the game-tying bucket with 12 points left. A JoVon McClanahan baseline jumper with two seconds left was off the mark and UCR's three-point heave at the buzzer was off as well and the team's went into overtime. 

UH spotted the Highlanders the first basket of overtime, but proceeded to score nine of the next 10 points, five of them from Coleman, including a big three-pointer with less than a minute to put UH up 74-68. Still the game was not over, as just like regulation, UCR continued to claw back. After forcing a steal with 16 seconds left and down 74-73, the Highlanders had a chance to regain the lead, but Hargress' floater was off the mark and Ryan Rapp hit two free throws to put UH back up by three. Hargress' had one last-gasp effort to force overtime, but his three-point attempt was well off. 

UH finished 11-of-14 from the free throw line, while UCR went just 12-of-22. The Highlanders entered the game leading the Big West in three-pointers at 8.3 made per game, but UH held them to just 5-of-18 from behind the arc. The 'Bow also out-rebounded UCR, 43-40. 

The Rainbow Warriors will now return to the islands for its final two home games of the season, beginning with a matchup with CSUN on Wednesday, March 6. Tipoff is 7 p.m. at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.