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University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics

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Noel Coleman dribble
65
Winner UC Santa Barbara UCSB 17-3,8-1 Big West
64
Hawaii Hawaii 15-6,6-3 Big West
Winner
UC Santa Barbara UCSB
17-3,8-1 Big West
65
Final
64
Hawaii Hawaii
15-6,6-3 Big West
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UC Santa Barbara UCSB 36 29 65
Hawaii Hawaii 27 37 64

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

UC Santa Barbara Turns Back Hawai’i On Mitchell’s Game-Winner

HONOLULU - The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team put together a brilliant second-half rally but eventually fell to UC Santa Barbara, 65-64, in a battle of Big West title contenders Thursday night at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Ajay Mitchel hit al driving bucket with just under two seconds for the game-winner as the Gauchos retained sole possession of first place in the league while halting UH's eight-game home winning streak. 

The Rainbow Warriors (15-6, 6-3 Big West) trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half and by nine points at the break before rallying to take the lead on the Gauchos (17-3, 8-1) twice in the final minutes. But UCSB answered each time, concluding with the heroics of Mitchell who finished with a game-high 24 points. 

Samuta Avea led UH with 13 points and three assists while Bernardo da Silva finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Both players hit crucial go-ahead baskets for the 'Bows late in the contest to give UH their first leads since the game's opening moments.  

UH was ultimately undone by a first-half performance that saw them shoot just 24 percent to the Gauchos 56 percent. UH went scoreless for nearly six minutes and UCSB went on  a 14-0 run to build a double-digit lead. Justus Jackson's three-pointer at the buzzer cut the UH deficit to 36-27 at break. 

The 'Bows came out of the locker room strong, scoring the first eight points of the half to get within one. From there it was a battle all the way. UCSB held off UH for much of the second half, but UH took the lead twice in the closing minutes. Avea's jumper with 3:40 left gave UH its first lead of the second half and da Silva again put UH ahead a minute later. The score would remain that way until Mitchell's final points of the game. 

UH shot  46 percent in the second half and committed just two turnovers in the second and five total for the game. UH also shot 11-of-13 from the free throw line. But the Gauchos nabbed the win with its strong first half and by beating UH in the paint (34-26), on the glass (35-31) and from behind the arc (5-of-11). UCSB has now one in three of its last four visits to Honolulu.

The Rainbow Warriors will next close out the first half of their Big West regular-season schedule when they host CSU Bakersfield on Saturday, Jan. 28. Tipoff is 7:00 p.m. HT at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
 
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