HONOLULU — The Hawai'i men's basketball team had its hopes of a Big West regular-season championship dashed with a 84-75 loss to Long Beach State on Senior Night at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Gavin Sykes scored a game-high 34 points including a flurry of three-pointers in the waning minutes to hand the Rainbow Warriors a rare home loss.
The league's second-leading scorer went full throttle in the final minutes of a close game, drilling a trio of three-pointers on consecutive LBSU possessions to turn a four-point game into an insurmountable 13-point deficit. Shaquil Bender added 20 for the Beach.
The 'Bows entered the game with a chance for a share of the Big West regular-season title but instead finished in second with just its third loss in 19 home games this year. Despite the loss, UH still earns a key double-bye going into next week's Big West Championship in Henderson, Nev.
Hunter Erickson scored 23 points, his most as a Rainbow Warrior, to lead four UH players in double-digits. The senior scored all but five of those points in the first half. Fellow senior
Isaac Johnson had 16 points,
Isaac Finlinson poured in 15 points while
Dre Bullock had 14.
UH got 18 first-half points from Erickson who drilled his first six shots from the field, including his first three from deep. But the Beach took a 44-34 halftime lead on the strength of 53 percent shooting and a combined 26 points from Bender and Sykes. LBSU converted on eight of its last nine field goals to end the period.
The Beach extended its lead to 11 in the opening minutes of the second but UH would soon make its move. Sparked by its signature defense – UH turned the Beach over six times in four minutes – the 'Bows went on a 14-2 run, including a string of 11 straight points, to seize the lead. After
Harry Rouhliadeff's three-point play, the 'Bows led 58-55, with 11 minutes left.
LBSU responded with a 11-2 run of its own to take a 65-60 lead with 7:23 left. It was a 68-64 game after a Finlinson layup with 4:07 left as UH looked to make one final push. But that was when Sykes took over, reeling off a personal 9-0 run to put the game away.
The Beach finished the game shooting 55 percent from the field, while burying 9-of-18 three-pointers. UH meanwhile shot just 6-of-26 from deep and 42 percent overall from the field. The Beach also out-rebounded UH, 38-27.
Following the game, UH's six seniors — Bullock, Erickson, Johnson, Rouhliadeff, Gytis Nemeiksa and
Yacine Toumi — were honored in the Senior Night ceremony after playing their final game at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
UH now turns its attention to the Credit Union 1 Big West Championship at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, Nev. The 'Bows will open the tournament on Friday, March 13 at 8:30 p.m. PT/5:30 p.m. HT with its opponent yet to be determined.
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