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DAVIS, Calif. – Despite dealing with foul trouble for most of the game, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team overcame an early 13-point hole to edge UC Davis, 67-65, Thursday to win its first Big West Conference title and lock up the No. 1 seed in next week's Big West Tournament. Having clinched a share of the regular season, the 'Bows (24-4, 13-2 BWC) will go for the title outright on Saturday at Long Beach State.
 
Roderick Bobbitt and Stefan Jankovic battled through foul trouble nearly the entire game, both picking up two in the opening minutes. Each played with four fouls for the final six minutes of the game but the 'Bows hung in there and rallied to capture its first league title since 2002. Jankovic (6 pts, 2 blks) made just one shot the entire game but it came in the closing minutes as part of a three-point play to give UH its first lead since 5:22 remaining in the first half.
 
Quincy Smith led the 'Bows with 15 points and Sai Tummala contributed 14 points off the bench including 3-6 in three pointers. Bobbitt added 11 points and five assists.
 
Brynton Lemar had the hot hand from distance for the Aggies (10-18, 5-10 BWC) shooting 4-7 from beyond the arc. Josh Fox added a game-high 19 points (8-16).
 
It was an inauspicious start for Hawai'i who saw UC Davis score the game's first 11 points. Aaron Valdes (7 pts, 3 ast) ended the scoreless start with a three pointer nearly six minutes in but not before Bobbitt and Jankovic both picked up a pair of fouls and had to take a seat on the bench.
 
The lead continued to swell with Siler Scheneider (12 pts) connecting on his second three pointer and Lemar adding a triple of his own to help put the Aggies up 19-6.
 
The Big West's top scoring team would not be held down for long though. Tummala hit from downtown on back-to-back possessions as Hawai'i reeled off 10 straight points to cut the lead to three. The 'Bows made it all the way back and grabbed their first lead on a Bobbitt bucket to go up 23-22.
 
In the blink of an eye however, the 'Bows cooled off and the Aggies heated back up. UH could not find the basket in the final 5:22 of the half while UC Davis closed the half on a 14-2 run to enter the break with a 36-25 lead.
 
The 'Bows came out of the locker room firing on a cylinders and used a 9-0 run to shave the Aggies lead to 36-34. UCD stemmed the tide but Tummala's post layup and three pointer kept his team close.
 
The 'Bows again suffered through another scoring drought, going scoreless for nearly three minutes before Bobbitt's three pointer again cut the UC Davis lead to two points. Jankovic later connected on his three-point play to give UH the lead for good.
 
Tip off between UH and LBSU is set for Saturday, Mar. 5 at 4:00 p.m. PT (2:00 p.m. HT).