Phil Martin scored 21 points, including the go-ahead basket with 2:29 remaining, as UC Riverside defeated Southern Utah 57-52 Saturday night.
Martin's jumper gave the Highlanders (12-15) their first lead of the second half, 52-50, and Daymond Cowlah added a free throw to extend the lead to three points. A basket by Jackson Stevenett pulled Southern Utah (13-15) within 53-52 with 26 seconds left, but Martin and Cowlah each hit a pair of free throws down the stretch to clinch the victory.
The final score in the BracketBusters matchup equaled Riverside's biggest lead of the game, while the Thunderbirds' biggest lead was six.
Ray Jones Jr. scored 18 points for Southern Utah, which hit just 5 of 23 shots in the second half. Stevenett added 13 points and Matt Massey had 10.
Cowlah and David Chavarria had 10 points each for Riverside.
