by HONOLULU – The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team put together a thrilling second-half comeback before eventually falling to Cal State Fullerton, 52-51, Saturday night at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Despite the loss, the Rainbow Warriors (18-8, 9-5 Big West) remained in a tie for third place in the league standings.
UH nearly overcame a nightmare of a first half and an 18-point second-half deficit with the chance to snatch a win away from the Titans (14-12, 8-6). But UH couldn’t convert on three opportunities in the waning seconds. JoVon McClanahan missed a driving shot in the lane and Kamaka Hepa’s put-back also rimmed out. Samuta Avea grabbed another UH offensive rebound but his contested turnaround jumper at the buzzer fell off the mark.
Hepa led UH with 16 points despite being saddled with foul trouble. He hit three of his four three pointers after the break to fuel UH’s rally. Avea also loomed large with 12 points and a career-high 17 rebounds for his third double-double this season.
The ‘Bows were ultimately doomed by a sputtering offensive effort in the first half that saw them score just 15 points. UH’s 51 points tied a season low.
UH started the game with back-to-back three-pointers from Noel Coleman and Hepa. But the ‘Bows proceeded to miss their next 10 straight and 18 of its next 19 shots to slowly fall behind Fullerton. By the end of the half, UH converted on just 4-of-24 shots (17 percent). UH held the Titans to just 35 percent shooting but were doubled up, 30-15. UH’s season-low halftime output was also aided by 11 turnovers.
Cal State Fullerton grew their lead to 37-19 with 17 minutes left in the game. But UH wouldn’t fold. The ‘Bows slowly clawed back and an Avea three-pointer at the five-minute mark made it 47-44. Fullerton scored five straight to take a 52-44 lead with three minutes left.
The ‘Bows held the Titans scoreless the rest of the way, paving the way for a dramatic ending. McClanahan nailed a pair of free throws with 21 seconds left to get UH within 52-51. The ‘Bows then fouled Latrell Wrightsell who proceeded to miss the front-end of a one-and-one, thus opening the door for UH’s final possession with 16 seconds left. The ‘Bows, however, missed the trio of shots, capping a night in which they shot 30 percent overall.
The Titans, winners of four of their last five games, earned their first-ever regular-season sweep of Hawai’i. It also marked just UH’s second loss in 10 Big West home games against Fullerton.
