LONG BEACH — The UC Riverside men’s basketball team isn’t just making a name for itself anymore. The Highlanders have become a known quantity in the Big West Conference.

UCR made its latest statement on Thursday night, blowing past Long Beach State in the first half and then keeping its distance the rest of the way in a 76-60 victory at the Walter Pyramid.

The win was the 1,000th in program history and the third straight to start conference play, something the Highlanders haven’t accomplished in at least 20 years.

“As good a game as we’ve played this year,” UCR coach Mike Magpayo said.

UCR guard Barrington Hargress is the reigning Big West Player of the Week, but he was just the third-leading scorer for the Highlanders with 17 points.

Isaiah Moses came off the bench and scored a season-high 22 points for Riverside (10-5, 3-0 Big West), the lone 3-0 team in conference play. Fellow guard Nate Pickens contributed season highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds.

“We have a multitude of weapons,” Magpayo said. “Barrington was, early on, just not in rhythm and Isaiah Moses just kind of came on and got us off the schneid.”

Long Beach (6-9, 2-1) came in riding a five-game winning streak, which came on the heels of an eight-game skid.

Devin Askew led LBSU with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Cam Denson scored 11 points.

Long Beach scored the first basket of the second half to cut the deficit to four, but that’s as close as it would get the rest of the way.

Kaleb Smith answered with a 3-pointer from the baseline for UCR to make it 41-34.

Long Beach got the lead back down to four again, but Moses hit back-to-back short jumpers to expand the lead back to 47-39 with 15:31 left.

“The coach has been emphasizing to me to be more confident, be more aggressive, and I think I did a good job of that,” Moses said. “I really just bring the energy, bring the tempo off the bench.”

LBSU cut a 10-point deficit to five, but Hargress grabbed an offensive rebound and passed it back to Moses for a 3-pointer and a 58-50 lead with 9:57 left.

Another 3 by Smith extended the lead back to double figures at 61-50 with 9:10 remaining, and the Highlanders sealed the win with back-to-back 3s by Pickens and Hargress to make it 72-54 with 4:55 left.

“I think the guys are grizzled a little bit and they’ve got some grit to them and, then, if we make shots, like we did with 10 3s tonight, we have a really good chance to win,” Magpayo said.

The Highlanders missed five of their first seven shots while falling behind 12-5, but they turned the corner with a 14-0 run that put them ahead 32-20 with 6:10 left in the opening half.

UCR had a chance to take an eight-point lead into the half, but Michael Xzavierro was fouled on a defensive rebound with 0.3 seconds left and made both free throws to trim the deficit to 38-32 at the break.

Long Beach shot 51.8 percent from the floor during its five-game winning streak, but was held to 43.4 against UCR.

“They had our full attention and we respected them all the way,” Magpayo said.