Five days after achieving a “must-win” victory over UC Davis on “Senior Night,” the University of hawai’i men’s basketball team faces a similar scenario Thursday at Cal State Bakersfield.
The Warriors (15-14 overall, 7-11 in league play) take on the Roadrunners at 4:30 p.m. Hawai’i time; the crucial game will be shown live and on-demand via ESPN+ and be broadcast live on radio via ESPN Honolulu 1420AM.
For both teams, a coveted and important berth to next week’s Big West Tournament in Henderson, Nev., could be at stake. Only the top eight teams will be invited, and UH currently is in seventh place, while Bakersfield (13-18, 7-12) is in eighth, just a half-game behind. The Roadrunners’ regular season ends after Thursday’s game, and the Warriors will end their regular season on Saturday at Cal State Northridge, a team they lost to by a score of 83-60 on Jan. 16.
So basically, for both teams the season could come down to this game.
“I think it’s super exciting,” said Hawai’i sophomore guard Tom Beattie, a team co-captain. “Obviously, we wanted (the tournament berth) to be clinched already, but … we’re going to come in there with the energy we brought (last) weekend, bring it into Bakersfield.”
Right on both teams’ tail is Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which is in ninth place at 6-12 but plays last-place Cal State Fullerton (1-17) on Thursday and second-to-last-place Long Beach State (3-15) on Saturday.
Big West Conference Standings
- UC San Diego 16-2
- UC Irvine 15-3
- Cal State Northridge 13-5
- UC Riverside 12-6
- UC Santa Barbara 11-7
- UC Davis 9-9
- HAWAI’I 7-11
- Cal State Bakersfield 7-12
- Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 6-12
- Long Beach State 3-15
- Cal State Fullerton 1-17
NOTE: Only the top eight teams at the end of the regular season will qualify for the Big West Tournament set for March 12-15 in Henderson, Nev.