RIVERSIDE — Andrew Henderson came to the SRC Arena ready to shoot.
Making his NCAA Division I debut Monday night, Henderson scored 13 of his game-high 19 points during the first half and UC Riverside went on to defeat La Sierra University 90-49 in the Highlanders’ season opener
“It’s not something where I pressured myself so I felt good coming in,” Henderson said. “This is what I’ve been praying for since I was a youngin’. It’s finally here.”
Henderson, a graduate transfer from Cal State San Bernardino, was 7-for-17 shooting with three 3-pointers for UC Riverside in Gus Argenal’s first game as the Highlanders’ head coach.
“I’m so confident in him as a player,” Argenal said. “I know he can knock down shots and he makes really good decisions. I think he can score with anybody in the Big West (Conference).”
Four players scored in double digits, two others had nine points apiece and the Highlanders created 35 points off turnovers.
“I loved the physicality and size of our guards, and the ability to play multiple positions and the defensive mobility,” Argenal said.
Marqui Worthy, Jr., and Osiris Grady, both playing their first game for UC Riverside, combined for 31 points. Worthy, Jr. was 7 for 10 from the field, and Grady dominated a stretch of the second half with seven consecutive points.
“I thought Marqui did a great job of getting into the paint off the elbow of the pick-and-roll (and) Osiris had a little trouble with the physicality early on but grew into the game,” Argenal said.
La Sierra (1-1) is 0-4 all-time against UC Riverside.
Makael Reynolds had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Golden Eagles. Caleb Tinker (King High) had four points and six rebounds in 33 minutes.
“We knew we were going to be tested and pushed to our limit, and we want to do better,” La Sierra coach Ethan Lowe said. “We’re competitors and we take pride in these opportunities, and when we get them we’re going to take them.”
The first made basket of the Argenal Era was a 3-pointer from Worthy, who took one dribble and sank a deep ball from the wing for a 3-0 lead nearly 2 minutes into the game.
Henderson gave UCR a 14-6 lead with a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 12 minutes to play in the first half, then made it 27-11 with another 3-pointer with 8 minutes left before the Highlanders took a 45-27 lead into the halftime break.
“It’s good to get going early because it helps me get a sense of what role I’m going to take up in the offense this season,” Henderson said.
Grady pushed the lead to 20 points with a physical finish early in the second half, and the transfer from Utah Valley proceeded to score nine of his 17 points over the final 20 minutes.
A full-court press from UC Riverside created one of 12 takeaways, and De’Undea Perteete hit a short jumper for a 62-31 lead with 13 minutes to play.
La Sierra’s Jasper Reinalda, a 7-foot-3 center from Corvallis, Ore., missed a dunk with 7 minutes left, and totaled just six points and eight rebounds.
“We did a good job of fronting him and preventing the easy entry pass over the top,” Argenal said. “(Reinalda) takes up a lot of space but I think we frustrated him.”
UCR’s Tyler Jones, one of two holdovers from last year’s NIT qualifier, came on late and hit three 3-pointers to make it 88-47, and 7-footer Daniel Tobiloba finished off the win with a powerful put-back dunk in the final minute.
