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LONG BEACH, Calif. – Aaron Valdes had 19 points, Roderick Bobbitt added 17 more but it wasn't enough as the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team fell 74-72 to Long Beach State in its Big West regular season finale Saturday at the Walter J. Pyramid.
 
The 'Bows (24-5, 13-3 BWC) entered the game already with a share of the league title and the Big West Tournament's No. 1 seed locked up, but a win would have given them the title outright and secured the first perfect conference road season in program history. Hawai'i now looks forward to a first-round matchup with Cal State Fullerton when the tournament gets underway next week.
 
Nick Faust led Long Beach State (18-13, 12-4 BWC) with 19 points including a late bucket in the paint to put his team up. The win gives the 49ers a season sweep of the 'Bows, the only Big West team to do so.
 
The 'Bows led by nine points late in the game after Aaron Valdes heated up from beyond the arc, hitting three from beyond the arc in the span of 3:52 to seemingly give his team control of the game. Valdes would score 16 of his 19 points and shoot 5-6 in three pointers in the second half.
 
The Beach would then go on an 8-0 run, shaving the lead to just one point on two made free throws from Faust. Sai Tummala gave the 'Bows a 72-68 lead with just under three minutes to play, but down the stretch it was a pair of layups from Haust and Gabe Levin, and two made free throws from Travis Hammonds that sealed the win.
 
It was another rough start for the 'Bows who saw LBSU race out to a 9-2 start. A Bobbitt three-pointer cut the early lead to three but the 49ers stayed hot from beyond the arc, responding with a 9-0 run to go up 19-9.
 
The lead would swell to 13 points on a Noah Blackwell three pointer but UH would get it going in a big way. The 'Bows unleashed a 19-5 run that saw them take a one-point lead with 1:46 to play in the half.
 
LBSU would stem the tide however as a Hammonds' three pointer halted the UH run and gave his team back the lead. The Beach would take a 37-36 lead into halftime.
 
The 'Bows quickly flipped the switch to start the second half. A 10-1 run capped by a Valdes corner three put the 'Bows up 50-42 and forced an LBSU timeout. UH would extend the lead to as much as 11 points.