SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team fell for the third straight game with a 78-64 loss to Cal Poly Saturday night at Mott Gym. The Mustangs put up 50 second-half points to surge past UH and drop the Rainbow Warriors to 13-8 overall and 4-4 in the Big West.
 
Cal Poly entered the game as the top team in the conference in three-pointers and free throw shooting and lived up to that billing. The Mustangs sank their first eight three-point attempts en route to 11-of-16 shooting from beyond the arc. It was a stark contrast to their 3-of-19 shooting in a 57-45 UH win last month.
 
Cal Poly also shot 17-of-18 (94 percent) from the free throw line in winning their second straight game. As a result, UH lost to the Mustangs for the first time in the last seven games and for the first time at Mott Gym in four years. 

Sheriff Drammeh led UH with 17 points, while Jack Purchase had 12. Drew Buggs chipped in 10 points and five assists. Donovan Fields led a balanced Mustang attack with 15 points.
 
UH controlled the pace early and led the entire first half. The 'Bows forced 12 Mustang turnovers and Drammeh scored 14 points, including four three-pointers, as Hawaii took a 35-28 lead at the break.
 
But Cal Poly made two key runs in the second half to turn the tide. The Mustangs came out of the locker room on a 16-2 run to build a seven-point lead in the opening minutes of the second half.
 
Hawai'i responded with a 13-4 run to recapture the lead and led by three, 54-51, with nine minutes remaining. However, Cal Poly then scored 13 unanswered points to stake a double-digit lead, a lead they would maintain the rest of the way.
 
UH forced 18 Cal Poly turnovers for the game and out-scored the Mustangs 26-14 in the paint.  But UH was uncharacteristically dominated on the boards as the Mustangs finished with a 41-24 rebounding advantage. 
 
The Rainbow Warriors now return home to host a pair of games, beginning with a meeting vs. UC Riverside on Saturday, Feb. 7. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.