In a fantastic finish to a frenetic game, Hunter Erickson swished a 17-foot fadeaway jumper from just beyond the free throws line as time expired Saturday night to lift Hawai’i to a pulsating 67-66 victory over longtime Big West Conference nemesis UC Irvine.
A thrilled and vocal crowd of 4,895 in BankOh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the exhilarating game as the Warriors improved to 12-3 overall and 4-1 in league play. The Anteaters fell to 12-6, 5-1.
UCI had taken a 66-65 lead on Derin Saran’s driving layup with 12.2 seconds remaining, after UH had turned the ball over on an errant baseline inbounds pass at the other end.
The Warriors then advanced the ball past halfcourt and called timeout with nine seconds left. After two passes, Erickson received the ball from Harry Rouhliadeff on the left wing, then quickly took one dribble to the free throw line and jabbed and jumped back from defender Kyle Evans for the winning fadeaway.
“It was a night I don’t think many will forget,” Hawai’i coach Eran Ganot said. “That’s what’s great about the game and life — every day you have great belief and faith that great things can happen, and then sometimes (like this) there’s moments you never forget.”
Erickson’s shot capped a wild and exciting back-and-forth game that lived up to or even surpassed the hype surrounding it being the home finale of a long Big West rivalry, with UCI often being the Warriors’ nemesis.
Hawai’i jumped out to an impressive and surprising 17-9 lead in the first nine minutes, until Harrison Carrington’s layup ignited a 9-0 run capped by Jovan Jester, Jr.’s 3-pointer to put the Anteaters ahead at 18-17 with just under nine minutes remaining in the first half.
The Warriors responded with a 7-0 surge to go up, 24-18, on Rouhliadeff’s 3-pointer from beyond the top of the key three minutes later. UC Irvine eventually came back to tie it at 27-27 before Gytis Nmeiksa’s baseline jumper with a minute remaining gave UH a 29-27 lead at the break.
The second half was even tighter, with neither team leading by more than four points — with the Warriors going up, 46-42, on Isaac Finlinson’s jumper from the left baseline with 11:40 left. The Anteaters quickly erased that lead and later went ahead, 57-54, on Saran’s lefty leaner with just under seven minutes on the clock.
Hawai’i answered with an 11-6 run capped by Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson’s lefty layup off Rouhliadeff’s inbounds pass for a 65-63 lead with 1:12 remaining. Jurian Dixon’s free throw with 56 ticks left cut it to 65-64, and then Saran’s layup put UCI ahead, 66-65, with 12.2 to go.
Big West Conference Standings
UC Irvine 5-1
HAWAI’I 4-1
UC San Diego 3-2
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 3-3
Cal State Fullerton 3-3
Cal State Northridge 3-3
Long Beach State 2-3
UC Davis 2-3
UC Santa Barbara 2-3
Cal State Bakersfield 2-4
UC Riverside 1-4