The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (13-2) look to extend their five-game winning streak when they match up with the UC Riverside Highlanders (9-9) at Student Recreation Center. The game starts at 10:00 pm ET on Thursday, Jan. 14 and will air on ES3.
The Highlanders lost to UC Irvine 84-68 in their last game. Jaylen Bland finished with 20 points to lead the team. The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors are coming off a 65-57 win over UC Santa Barbara in their last outing. Isaac Fleming shot 7 for 13 and led in scoring with 22 points.
UC Riverside is a six-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 138 points. The Highlanders are looking to improve on their records of 9-9 Straight Up (SU) and 4-6 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 1-4 ATS. The Highlanders are an impressive three-point shooting team with 8.0 made per game, one of the highest marks in Division I. Turning to the defensive end, the Highlanders have stifled opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing a three-point field goal percentage of only .309.
Across the court, Hawaii has a SU record of 13-2 and an ATS record of 5-4. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors has done particularly well ATS over its past 10 match-ups, going 4-1. Defenses have a tough time accounting for every player when up against the Rainbow Warriors, who are known for distributing the ball with 16.5 assists per game. Hawaii’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .393 from the field. When it comes to stealing the ball, the Rainbow Warriors are one of the best in the nation with an average of 8.4 steals per game.
These conference rivals will be facing off in their first head-to-head contest of the season. When they last met the Rainbow Warriors were winners, bringing their SU record in their most recent games to 6-2. Additionally, Hawaii leads the matchup ATS with a record of 6-2. Hawaii had the advantage in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) three times over the last five matchups. UC Riverside has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hawaii, ATS Winner – Hawaii, O/U – Over
Notes
UC Riverside is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games at home.
UC Riverside is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Hawaii.
Hawaii is a perfect 2-0 SU against conference rivals, while UC Riverside is a winless 0-2 SU against its foes.
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors rank 71st for their offensive rating of 111.3. The UC Riverside Highlanders have a defensive rating of 97.6 (ranked 89th).
UC Riverside has an average field goal percentage of 43.2%. Hawaii is a winning 3-1 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The UC Riverside Highlanders rank lower for their field goal percentage (218th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (175th), but the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors have a better FG% ranking (52nd) than eFG% ranking (69th).
Hawaii ranks 42nd in assists, recording 16.5 per game. UC Riverside performs worse at 229th with 12.8 assists per game.
Hawaii, the 99th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 38.5 rebounds per game. UC Riverside does worse, ranked 158th with 37.3.
On average, UC Riverside forces a turnover rate of 18.2%. When Hawaii turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 3-1 record.
