Rainbow Warriors run away from Matadors
Mar. 3—An inspired second half helped the Hawaii basketball team defeat Cal State Northridge 81-55 and remain in the chase for first place in the Big West.
An inspired second half helped the Hawaii basketball team defeat Cal State Northridge 81-55 and remain in the chase for first place in the Big West.
The'Bows outscored the Matadors 48-22 after the intermission before a senior-night crowd of 535 at Premier America Credit Union Arena in Northridge, Calif.
It was the largest margin for a road victory in league play in the'Bows' 11 seasons of Big West membership. The'Bows improved to 22-9 overall and 13-6 in the Big West. They are tied for third with UC Riverside entering Saturday's nationally televised showdown against UC Santa Barbara. UCSB and UC Irvine are tied for first at 14-5.
"I'm happy for our guys because the reward is competition, " UH coach Eran Ganot said.
The standings determine the seeding for next week's Big West Tournament in Henderson, Nev. The tournament winner earns the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. If the regular-season champion does not win the league tournament, it will receive an invitation to the NIT as a consolation prize.
"I'm really proud of our guys tonight going on the road, " Ganot said. "We had a battle the last time we played them. And we battled in the first half. Give them credit for fighting back."
The'Bows' 10-point advantage vaporized in the first half when the Matadors went on an 11-0 run for a 24-23 lead. It was tied at 33 at the intermission.
"They imposed their will in the paint, " Ganot said of the Matadors' first-half push. "I thought we did in the second half."
The'Bows hit seven 3s in the second half to match their season high of 11 made shots from behind the arc. The'Bows constructed a 42-30 advantage in rebounds, including 10-4 on the offensive boards, and assisted on 17 of the 26 field goals.
"I was pumped to see the sharing of the ball, " Ganot said.
The'Bows converted 18 of 20 free throws, including 13 of 14 in the second half. The Matadors were 13-for-22 from the line.
Bernardo da Silva, a 6-9 center who started UH's first 29 games, missed his second consecutive game because of an ankle injury.
"We had to shift gears, " Ganot said of summoning freshmen Mor Seck and Harry Rouhliadeff to rotate in the low post. Seck, a 7-foot-1 freshman, amassed 13 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots. Seck has had double-doubles in his two starts.
"We had to weather Bernardo being out and Noel (Coleman ) being in (early ) foul trouble, " Ganot said. "Guys stepped up. It's not easy. These are tough games, especially in league, especially on the road, especially in late February and March. I appreciate how hard our guys are working and how fun they are to coach."
UH forward Kamaka Hepa contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds. Point guard JoVon McClanahan was the'Bows' top scorer with 18 points.
CSUN guard Atin Wright, who missed the last game after slipping during a rainstorm, did not start. But he entered after the first media timeout, and went 8-for-15, including burying three 3s, to finish with 26 points.
Marcel Stevens, a walk-on, started at point guard but exited after suffering a leg injury with 16 :27 left in the first half.
The Matadors end their regular season at 7-24 overall and 4-16 in the Big West.
