Box Score

BOISE, Idaho – A short-handed University of Hawai'i men's basketball team picked up huge road win, defeating Boise State, 73-66, Thursday night at the Taco Bell Arena. UH improved to 13-9 overall and 4-6 in the Western Athletic Conference.

 

The win was big in a number of ways. After UH started league play 0-5, the Rainbow Warriors have now won four of its last five WAC games to continue to inch closer up the WAC standings. It was also the 'Bows second straight WAC road win, a first since 2006.

 

In the last regular-season meeting between the teams as WAC rivals, UH avenged a 24-point loss last month in Honolulu and defeated the Broncos in Boise for the first time in  five years.

 

The 'Bows did it with a depleted roster—UH was without the services of leading scorer Zane Johnson and key reserve Trevor Wiseman. Meanwhile, Hiram Thompson missed a majority of the first half after suffering a blow to the face less than a minute into the game.

 

It didn't matter as Bill Amis led four players in double-digits with 22 points. The senior forward also added seven rebounds and four blocks. Jeremiah Ostrowski continued his stellar play notching 12 points and eight assists while filling in for Thompson. Vander Joaquim recorded his fifth double-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, while Joston Thomas scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half to help seal the win.

 

UH led nearly wire-to-wire. The Broncos held the lead just once—late in the first half—and that lead last all but 35 seconds.  The 'Bows shot 58 percent for the game, including a sizzling 68 percent in the second half to expand a one-point halftime lead to as many as 15 points late in the game. Meanwhile, the Broncos (12-10, 5-5 WAC) struggled from distance, converting just 6-of-26 three-pointers.

 

After leading by as many as 10 points in the first half, the 'Bows took a slim 29-28 lead going into the locker room. UH burst out in the second half with a 12-5 run and hit five of its first seven three point attempts, including three by Bo Barnes. A three-point play by Amis gave UH a 64-49 lead with 5:31 remaining and the 'Bows never looked back.

 

UH next travels to Moscow to take on Idaho on Saturday, Feb. 5. Tipoff is 7:05 p.m. PT (5:05 HT) at the Cowan Spectrum.