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HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team made a successful Big West debut with a 74-71 win over Cal State Northridge Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
 
In a see-saw contest, UH (7-5, 1-0 Big West) overcame a shaky start, built a double-digit lead, squandered the lead in the second half, before finally rallying in the closing minutes to nab a victory in its first-ever Big West contest.
 
As expected UH won on the strength of its frontcourt of Vander Joaquim, Isaac Fotu and Christian Standhardinger. Both Joaquim (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Fotu (16 points, 11 rebounds) posted double-doubles, while Standhardinger led UH with 17 points. Freshman Brandon Jawato added 12 points off the bench for UH.
 
The Matadors (9-4, 0-1 Big West), who entered league play with the best non-conference record among Big West squads, were led by Stephan Hick's 25 points.
 
UH used its considerable advantage inside to foul out three CSUN players and earn 31 trips to the free throw stripe. The 'Bows however nearly gave away the win by converting only 16 of those attempts.  
 
For the second straight game UH got off to a miserable start. The Matadors began the game on a 13-2 run, while the Rainbow Warriors accumulated more turnovers (7) than points (5) through the first seven minutes of the game.
 
But then the 'Bows turned it around midway through the first half. In a little more than three minutes UH scored 18 unanswered points to turn an eight-point deficit into a double-digit lead and send the Stan Sheriff Center crowd into a frenzy. It was part of a 25-3 run by the 'Bows, who led by as many as 14 points before taking a 44-33 lead into the locker room.
 
After shooting a sizzling 61 percent from the floor in the first half, UH cooled down considerably, shooting just 35 percent after the break. As a result of its shooting woes—both from the field and on the line—UH fell behind by five points, 61-56, with seven minutes left.
 
UH went on an 8-2 run to reclaim the lead and would go up for good with one minute remaining on a Joaquim free throw with one minute left. After Hauns Brereton nailed a pair of crucial free throw with nine seconds left to extend the lead to three points, the Matadors had one last chance to send the game in overtime but Landon Drew's three-point attempt at the buzzer fell short.  
 
UH will continue its six-game homestand when it hosts a pair of Big West games next week, beginning with a matchup versus Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, Jan. 3 at 7:00 p.m.