Box Score

HONOLULU – The University of Hawai`i men's basketball team came up with one of its grittiest efforts of the season in a 73-69 win over Fresno State Thursday night at the Save Mart Center. UH improved to 13-12 overall and 5-8 in the Western Athletic Conference with its second road win of the year.

 

With the score deadlocked at halftime, UH scored six straight points to open the second half and fended off every Fresno State push to re-take the lead. The 'Bows completed a season sweep of the Bulldogs and moved into sole possession of sixth place in the WAC standings with the win.

 

Roderick Flemings recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 rebounds to lead the 'Bows. The junior scored 14 of his points after the break, including a thunderous dunk to jump start UH in the second half. Flemings also hit 12-of-13 free throws.

 

Kareem Nitoto finished with 12 points and five assists, while Bill Amis poured in 11. UH played its starters for the majority of the game, but got a lift from the bench as Brandon Adams scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 27 minutes.

 

Sylvester Seay led the Bulldogs (10-17, 2-10 WAC) with 22 points and nine rebounds. Paul George added 16 points, while Nedeljko Golubovic added 15 points on four three-pointers.

 

The first half was a tight affair with eight ties and eight lead changes in the first half. Neither team led by more than six points and the game was tied, 32-32, at the break.

 

UH, however, scored six straight out of the gates in the second half. The Bulldogs tied th game briefly midway through the second half and came within one point, 65-64, on a Sylvester Seay bucket with 1:20 remaining. But Hawai`i responded with buckets on each of its next two possessions to push its lead to five with 24 seconds left. Flemings and Nitoto then sealed the game with four consecutive free throws.

 

UH shot 56 percent in the second half, while holding the Bulldogs to just 39 percent shooting after the break. The 'Bows shot 50 percent for the game and out-rebounded Fresno State, 32-27.

 

Hawai`i won despite failing to hit a three-pointer in its second straight game. UH also survived a second half in which it sent the Bulldogs to the free throw line 23 times. The Bulldogs finished 22-of-29 from the line for the game.

 

The 'Bows will next turnaround to Honolulu to host UC Irvine on Saturday, Feb. 21 as part of the ESPNU BracketBusters event. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m.