by HONOLULU – The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team got off to a blazing start to help fuel a 72-69 win over CSU Bakersfield Saturday night at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Warriors improved to 16-6 overall and 7-3 in the Big West with its ninth win in its last 10 home games.
UH went on a 11-0 run to start the game, took a 17-point lead into the locker room and denied a Roadrunner comeback in the second half to bounce back from Thursday night’s tough loss to UC Santa Barbara. With the first half of the Big West schedule complete, UH sits in fourth place, just two games off the pace of the first-place Gauchos
Kamaka Hepa led UH with 17 points, including 12 points on four three-pointers in the decisive first half, while also adding seven rebounds. JoVon McClanahan scored all but six of his 17 points in the first half and had four assists. Noel Coleman chipped in 11 points.
UH hit its first four shots of the game – three of them from behind the arc – to take a double-digit lead just three minutes into the game. The Roadrunners (6-15, 2-8) took a timeout to stop the bleeding but couldn’t recover from the UH onslaught. The ‘Bows shot 60 percent in the first half, nailed seven three-pointers and drained all eight of its free throw attempts to take a 45-28 lead at the break.
UH maintained its double-digit lead for the first eight minutes of the second half, but an offensive lull by the ‘Bows got CSUB back in it. UH went on a 1-of-10 shooting spell and the Roadrunners closed to within 54-50 with just under seven minutes left. Beon Riley responded with a three-point play on the very next possession and CSUB would get no closer until a CSUB three-pointer at the buzzer for the final score.
After its hot first half, UH shot just 32 percent after the break and went 0-of-11 from beyond the arc. CSUB shot 52 percent in the second half. But the ‘Bows ultimately sealed the game on the free throw line where they finished 23-of-29.
