Box Score
Post Game Quotes
HONOLULU – The University of Hawai`i men's basketball team endured a miserable first half and could never recover in a 67-51 loss to Utah State Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. UH dropped to 9-10 overall and 1-6 in the Western Athletic Conference with its fifth straight loss.
The Aggies (19-1, 7-0 WAC), meanwhile, continued their hold on first place in the WAC with their 14th straight win and their first win in four all-time trips to Honolulu. The ultra-efficient Aggies shot 64 percent in the first half, led by 17 points at the break and never looked back.
UH couldn't start any worse, missing 14 of its first 16 shots. The 'Bows shot just 14 percent from the floor and missed all 11 of its three point attempts in the first half to trail by as many as 20 points. The critical turn started less than five minutes into the game when Utah State went on a 21-2 run, including a string of 16 unanswered points. The 'Bows went scoreless for more than seven minutes and by the time
Bill Amis ended the drought with a dunk at the 9:38 mark, Utah State had build a 19 point lead
UH improved its play in the second half but could get no closer than 12 points. UH tied its season-low with nine turnovers and buried 16-of-17 free throws, but it couldn't overcome a first-half performance that saw the team convert on just 4-of-28 shots.
The Aggies flexed its muscle down low, out-scoring the 'Bows 34-16 in the paint and were out-rebounded, 38-28. Gary Wilkinson and Tai Wesley combined for 30 points and 15 rebounds. Wing players Tyler Newbold (13) and Jared Quayle (12) also finished in double-digits for Utah State.
Hawai`i will play its next two games on the road, starting with a match-up at Louisiana Tech on Thursday, Jan. 29. Tip-off is 7:00 p.m. CT (3:00 p.m. HT) at the Thomas Assembly Center.
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