RIVERSIDE —One year later and roles have been reversed.

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UC Riverside Highlanders center Joel Armotrading (21) celebrates his basket and foul with UC Riverside Highlanders guard Barrington Hargress (24) against California Baptist Lancers during the crosstown game at CBU’s Fowler Events Center in Riverside on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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Barrington Hargress scored a game-high 25 points to outduel childhood friend Dominique Daniels Jr., as UC Riverside came from behind to defeat California Baptist University 70-69 in the “Crosstown Showdown” on Tuesday night at the Fowler Events Center.

“It’s the exact same score as last year, oh my god,” UC Riverside head coach Mike Magpayo said. “That’s amazing and incredible (and) I’m so happy for the UC Riverside community.”

Hargress was 9 of 17 from the field with three rebounds and three steals for UC Riverside (1-2 overall), which lost to CBU 70-69 last season

“This feels so good, knowing the importance of this one,” Hargress said. “We lost on a tough shot at the end last year, so we knew we had to stay locked in, and we were able to execute.”

Freshman 7-foot center Jack Whitbourn recorded his first collegiate double-double with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds in the win.

“Jack had a tremendous game. I’m so happy for him,” Magpayo said. “His family just flew in from Australia to see this game.”

Daniels finished with 20 points, but it wasn’t enough as CBU lost for the first time this season.

“We had some stretches where we were out of character and out of sorts,” Lancers coach Rick Croy said. “We didn’t continue to dictate the game with what we wanted.”

CBU (2-1) grabbed an early 4-0 lead on a pair of inside baskets from Martell Williams and A.J. Braun, and Braun gave the Lancers a 10-5 lead with a 3-pointer from the top of the arc 6 minutes into the game.

Williams had a monster dunk to put CBU up 22-13 midway through the first half, but UCR’s pick-and-roll kept them in the game as Whitbourn and Joel Armotrading got inside against the Lancers’ smaller lineup.

“CBU is so physical. We had to match that physicality and find away to defend and rebound,” Magpayo said.

CBU sixth man Sam Silverstein added a block, a steal, a dunk and four points as the Lancers held a 37-30 at halftime.

Daniels helped push CBU’s lead to 10 points with a short-range floater early in the second half, and kept it there with 9-of-10 shooting at the free-throw line.

UC Riverside made a run and Hargress got the Highlanders to within two points with a layup and the foul to make it 44-42 with 14 minutes to play.

“I told him, ‘You’re going to take over this game’, and that’s what a scorer’s mentality is,” Magpayo said. “He just thinks he can score and get to his spots whenever he wants.”

Daniels, who came in shooting just 33 percent so far this season, drilled his first of three 3-pointers then pulled his dribble and shook a defender before sinking his second from beyond the arc for a 52-46 lead.

“We had stretches where we looked like we were on the attack and that’s got to be the best version of us,” Croy said.

Brantly Stevenson hit his third 3 for a 57-53 lead at the 10-minute mark of the second half, but UCR did not go away. Isaiah Moses gave the Highlanders their first lead at 60-59 with a short jumper with 7 minutes remaining.


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