Somewhere on the way from Northridge to Riverside, the University of Hawai’i lost something it couldn’t afford to lose on the road. Defense.
In a performance head coach Eran Ganot described as “atrocious,” the Rainbow Warriors had its worst defensive showing of the season in a 75-71 loss to UC Riverside on Saturday at the SRC Arena in Riverside, Calif.
UCR shot 53.7 percent from the field and made 13 3-pointers – both statistics are season-highs for a UH opponent – in ending the Warriors’ five-game winning streak.
Hawai’i, which could have moved into first place with a win, dropped to 11-6 overall and 2-1 in the Big West Conference.