HONOLULU  – The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team dropped its third straight game with an 82-76 setback to UC Riverside Thursday night at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Warriors fell to 14-14 overall and 6-11 in the Big West. 
 
UH's loss, coupled with CSU Bakersfield's overtime win at Long Beach State, dropped the Rainbow Warriors into eighth in the Big West standings, a half game behind the Roadrunners. UC Riverside (19-11, 12-6)  maintained its position in fourth place. 
 
UH led by one at the break, but the Highlanders shot 57 percent in the second half to seize control. Barrington Hargress scored a game-high 25 points, while Isaiah Moses and Kaleb Smith each pitched in 12 to help the Highlanders end a three-game series slide against the 'Bows.
 
Gytis Nemeikša led UH with 17 points. Ryan Rapp poured in 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three-point territory. The rest of the Warriors shot just a combined 3-of-18 from three-point range. Aaron Hunkin-Clayton added 11 points and a career-high five assists. 
 
The first half was a back-and-forth affair with three ties and eight lead changes. The Highlanders held a 30-24 in the waning minutes of the first half, but UH ended on a 12-5 run, including eight unanswered points, to take a 36-35 edge at the break. The 'Bows shot 48 percent in the first half and got a combined 22 points from Rapp and Nemeiksa to take the lead. 
 
UH held a 48-46 lead five minutes into the second half on a driving Marcus Greene layup, but UCR went on an 14-3 run, capped by a Smith three-pointer to take a 60-51 lead with under 11 minutes left.
 
UH cut the deficit to 69-64 with 3:19 left on a pair of Nemeiksa free throws. But the 'Bows came up empty on its next two possessions and the Highlanders converted a pair of baskets to extend their lead back to nine with less than two minutes left.
 
Both teams shot 48 percent from the field, but UC Riverside went 17 of 20 at the free-throw line — with all of the Highlanders' attempts coming in the second half — to fend off the 'Bows, who went 9 of 9 from the line.
 
The Rainbow Warriors will next host its final home game of the year when they play UC Davis on Saturday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. Following the game five Rainbow Warriors will be honored as part of Senior Night festivities.