Taking a crucial step forward in the tight race for a regular season title, the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team held off UC Davis, 77-73, Thursday night for a Big West Conference road victory.
A crowd of 1,821 at the University Credit Union Center watched Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson score 16 points and Hunter Erickson add 15 points, six rebounds and six assists as the Warriors improved to 20-7 overall and 12-5 in league play. Marcus Wilson scored a game-high 25 points and Carl Daughtery, Jr. and Connor Sevilla each added 11 points for the Aggies, who fell to 17-12, 12-8.
After UC Davis jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead, UH eventually took the lead for good at 20-18 on Johnson’s layup midway through the first half, and then finished the period with a 12-4 run in the final four minutes as Dre Bullock’s layup off Isaac Finlinson’s steal with three seconds remaining gave the Warriors a 43-31 lead at the break.
After Harry Rouhliadeff’s 3-pointer from beyond the top of the key made it 46-32 one minute into the second half, the Aggies chipped away and eventually closed it to 75-73 after two free throws by Wilson with 11 seconds remaining. But Isaac Finlinson immediately answered with two free throws and Gytis Nmeiksa blocked a shot at the other end with four ticks on the clock to secure the victory.
“I’m really proud of our guys, we gotta keep working hard like we do, take away the lapses and get to late games because I think we’re pretty clutch,” Hawai’i coach Eran Ganot said. “So many guys have made big plays … Fish made big free throws again, Finlinson had a turnover, but he bounced back and hit the biggest free throws of the game, and that’s what you want to see in terms of bouncing back.”
The Warriors will continue their road trip with a game on Saturday at Cal State Fullerton.
Big West Conference Standings
*HAWAI’I 12-5
*UC Irvine 12-5
*Cal State Northridge 11-6
*UC Santa Barbara 11-7
*UC San Diego 10-7
*Cal State Fullerton 10-7
*UC Davis 10-8
*Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 9-8
Long Beach State 4-13
UC Riverside 4-14
Cal State Bakersfield 2-15
*Clinched berth in Big West Conference Tournament in Henderson, Nev. March 11-14