HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team used a gritty defensive effort and hot stretch of three-point shooting to pull away from CSUN, 89-68, Saturday night at Bankoh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center. With their ninth straight home win, the Rainbow Warriors improved to 15-4 overall and stayed atop the Big West standings with a 7-2 mark.
The win sets up a monumental showdown next week when UH travels to Irvine, Calif., for a nationally televised game versus Big West co-leader UC Irvine on Thursday, Jan. 29.
The 'Bows missed 11 of their first 12 three-point attempts but ended the game with a dozen treys, including seven straight threes bridging the halves to turn a deadlocked game into a double-digit advantage. Meanwhile, UH employed its signature defense all game long as the Matadors shot just 38 percent for the game.
Isaac Johnson went 7-for–10 from the field and led five Rainbow Warriors in double-digits with 18 points while Gytis Nemeiksa had 16. The duo combined for six three pointers.
Dre Bullock finished with 13 points and four steals and
Isaac Finlinson added 11 points and connected on two three-pointers.
Hunter Erickson finished with 10 points and a career-high eight assists.
The first half was a slugfest with neither team able to get into an offensive rhythm. But UH led for much of the first 20 minutes by grabbing 11 offensive rebounds and getting to the free throw line (11-of-15). UH held a 23-16 lead on a Finlinson free throw at the 7:51 mark, but the Matadors went on a 9-2 run to knot things up, 25-25.
The 'Bows, who started 1-of-12, got hot in the final five minutes, draining their final four attempts of the half. That included back-to-back threes by Finlinson and a buzzer-beating shot by Johnson that gave UH a 40-34 lead going into the locker room.
The hot shooting continued after the break. CSUN trailed just 40-37 in the opening minute, but UH broke things open with a 15-2 run, including 12 unanswered, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers by Johnson. Johnson's three pointer at the 16:34 mark — UH's seventh straight – gave the 'Bows a 55-39 lead and they would not look back.
UH shot 64 percent in the second half and out rebounded CSUN 44-42. The Bows also got 31 points off the bench compared to just three by the Matadors.
The Rainbow Warriors now ready themselves for a rematch with UC Irvine following their dramatic 67-66 win earlier this month. Tipoff next Thursday is at 8:00 p.m. PT/6:00 p.m. HT and will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.
#HawaiiMBB
