The momentum is picking up!

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The University of Hawaiʻi Men's Basketball team began a crucial road trip with a big win over the UC Riverside Highlanders, 83-76, at the SRC Arena on Thursday. This marks UH's third consecutive victory over the Highlanders going back to 2024.

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Tanner Christensen led the 'Bows with 18 points, all in the second half, which included nine rebounds and his first triple of the 2024-25 season. Akira Jacobs poured in 12 points off the bench, and Kody Williams chipped in 11. These three combined for 41 of UH's 83 total points.

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Riverside was led by Isaiah Moses' 26 on 9-for-17 shooting; he was 2-for-6 from 3-point range and made all six of his free throws. Barrington Hargress poured in 19 points himself, and Kaleb Smith added 14 of his own.

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Tom Beattie drew first blood with the first of UH's 10 triples total. UH would score five of the first six points of the contest before Riverside made a move to tie things off a Hargress jumper. UH roared back to the tune of a 9-0 run to put some space between UCR.

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Ryan Rapp, Jerome Palm, and Beattie made the next field goals for UH, with Beattie's jumper making it a 19-12 lead for UH with 11:58 remaining.

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Riverside then scored 10 unanswered to take the lead while UH went scoreless and committed multiple turnovers for over six minutes. It looked like it would be the second time in three games that a big scoring drought would eventually cost UH, but they found an answer.

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UH surged ahead with 10 unanswered of their own, but Riverside countered with an 8-0 run to end the first half with a 30-28 lead on UH. UH committed an egregious 11 turnovers overall to UCR's three in the first half, but the second half saw a new UH team.

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Rapp began the second half with a good layup to tie the score at 30. This began a back-and-forth duel between the two teams. A Christensen dunk put UH in front, but UCR's Jack Whitbourn banked a triple to retake the lead.

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UH and UCR exchanged the lead 11 times and were tied 10 times each. Riverside held the lead, but their gap was never more than four points in the second half.

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With 8:56 to go, Christensen made his very first triple as a Rainbow Warrior. That tied the score at 57. Despite two made free throws from UCR's Whitbourn, UH tied things again off a Jacobs layup.

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With 6:15 to go, Aaron Hunkin-Claytor banked his second career triple as a Rainbow Warrior to put UH in front for good, 64-62. That Hunkin-Claytor triple started an 11-0 UH run; he would end up with seven points on the night.

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UH, who committed 11 turnovers in the first half, did not see a turnover in the second half until a shot clock violation with 2:35 remaining. UH would commit just three turnovers in the second half to total 14 overall; UCR committed seven turnovers to total 10 overall.

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Riverside made one last push and cut the gap down to just four with 1:33 remaining off a Smith jumper, but that was the closest they'd get.

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Harry Rouhliadeff hit a clutch triple with 50 seconds left to ultimately seal the win for UH. Rouhliadeff ended with eight critical points for UH and went 2-for-3 from 3-point range.

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For UCR, this was their first loss at home all year long. Two of their key players, Niyi Olabode and Nate Pickens were held to just four and three points respectively before they fouled out.

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UH improves to 2-2 in Big West play and 10-5 overall. They have moved up to sixth place in the standings. Riverside falls to 3-2 in Big West play and 10-7 overall.

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UH will stay on the road and will take on the winless Cal State Fullerton Titans at Titan Gym on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. HST. You can listen to that game on ESPN Honolulu.