HONOLULU — The Big West “playoffs” rolled on for the Hawaii men’s basketball team on Wednesday night.
UH’s 72-70 win over CSUN in front of 2,699 (4,340 tickets issued) at the Stan Sheriff Center was the latest down-to-the-wire finish for the Rainbow Warriors, who remained alive for a top-four seed and a bye in the upcoming Big West championships in Henderson, Nev.
Per tiebreaker scenarios examined by Spectrum News, UH (18-13, 10-9) clinched a Big West tournament berth with last Saturday’s 76-73 overtime win at UC Riverside, though the BWC and UH did not formally announce the Rainbow Warriors as qualified for the eight-team event until Wednesday’s win.
[NOTE: See below for more photos of the game.]
The picture is now much clearer. If UC Santa Barbara loses against Long Beach State on Thursday night, or if UH beats Cal State Bakersfield on senior night Saturday, UH will have secured either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed, a valuable advantage over the Nos. 5 through 8 seeds, which would have to compete four times in four days for a shot at the BWC’s automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
[UPDATE: UCSB won 76-74 at LBSU on Thursday night, meaning UH needs to beat CSUB on Saturday to guarantee itself a top-four seed. But if UH beats CSUB and LBSU loses to UC Davis on Saturday, UH will earn the No. 3 seed. UH will slip to No. 5 with a loss Saturday and wins by both LBSU and UCSB, which faces UC Riverside.]
Center Bernardo da Silva had 18 points and 12 rebounds and made a game-preserving play in the final seconds. When forward Justin McKoy went long for a reception of a full-court pass from Ryan Rapp – with just inches to spare along the far baseline – to dribble out the last 1.8 seconds, UH secured its eighth win in its last 11 games.
“Because of the situation we put ourselves in, from 2-6, it felt like every game was a must-win,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “We’ve treated it with a little more urgency. It’s made us feel like these are playoff games.”
The ‘Bows, sporting limited edition green-and-orange jerseys that evoked the stylings of UH baseball, committed only four turnovers in the second half after giving it away 13 times in a listless first period. Many of those were in unforced fashion – including one on an errant pass right before the half that allowed CSUN to score and get within 26-25 at the break.
Depleted CSUN (18-14, 9-11) lost for the fifth time in its last six games, but got a career game from forward De’Sean Allen-Eikens, who scored 34 points on 14-for-23 shooting, including three baskets during a 15-6 run in the last four minutes to narrow the game to a single point in the final seconds.
Center Bernardo da Silva got fouled with 12.2 seconds left and made the second of two for a two-point lead. The Brazilian drew 14 fouls, going 6-for-14 from the foul line.
CSUN point guard Dionte Bostick drove in from the top of the key, did a spin move in the lane and attempted to go up with the ball, but da Silva, who’d jumped early, came down on the ball and stripped it out of Bostick’s hands. It was ruled to have gone off of Bostick.
Da Silva, who is within 30 points of joining UH’s 1,000-point club, said he was trying to be mindful of Bostick’s pump-fake. The play marked the last of a series of reviews in the final minute-plus.
“It was interesting because they reviewed the play so much, all the time,” da Silva said. “I mean, we just tried to stick with it regardless of what happens. Had to stay patient.”
In the first half, da Silva stared down a prone Allen-Eikens after going vertical and rejecting the Matador’s leaner in the paint.
“B held us down,” McKoy said. “He talked about how he didn’t shoot the free throws well, but I mean, he finishes well inside, 60% from the field. … That 18 and 12 in a big game, five offensive boards, I mean, he’s a killer. We need him every night.”
McKoy, who scored 14 points with eight rebounds, was supposed to go deep to kill the final seconds on UH’s final inbounds attempt, as called for by a play drawn up by assistant Brad Davidson. But McKoy said he “called an audible” and darted back underneath. The Matadors batted it out that time.
“Then I actually listened to (Davidson) and (the next try) worked, so I should probably do that a little bit more,” McKoy said. “I knew I had to at least touch the ball so the time ran out.”
Noel Coleman scored 14 and surpassed both Julian Sensley and Phil Martin on UH’s career scoring chart and now stands in eighth at 1,235 points. He needs 24 more to match Carl English at No. 7 (1,259).
UH was whistled for 13 fouls to CSUN’s 26 and got 26 foul shots to CSUN’s five, despite attempting 25 shots from long range to CSUN’s 12. Keonte Jones, the team’s third-leading scorer, fouled out scoreless in 21 minutes.
Afterward, Matadors first-year coach Andy Newman lamented his team’s general health, however, not the unfriendly whistle in his team’s regular-season finale. The Matadors missed forward Mahmoud Fofana, who hurt his Achilles in CSUN’s previous game and joined starting point guard Jordan Brinson on the shelf.
CSUN, which stands in fifth for the purposes of Big West seeding, will learn its tournament fate after results around the league play out Thursday and Saturday.
Newman credited da Silva for making a strong play on the game’s decisive sequence.
“We’re going to fight hard, as you saw. There’s no quit in that locker room,” Newman said. “We’ll see how this thing goes in Henderson.”
UH point guard JoVon McClanahan, the team’s one-time starter who has appeared only in fits and starts since injuring his right shoulder in February, was scoreless in six-plus minutes off the bench while starter Juan Munoz scored 13 points, four assists and three turnovers in 31 minutes.
“It’s been unique, incorporating him back in the mix with the way the group’s playing,” Ganot said to a question about McClanahan. “Adding JoVon is a positive, it’s better, he’s a good player.
“Everybody’s gotta stay ready. … The good thing is he’s feeling better and better.”
UH will honor da Silva, McKoy, Coleman, Munoz, McClanahan and reserve Matthue Cotton on senior night Saturday.
McKoy, who went through a senior ceremony at North Carolina last year, said he feels obligated to help make sure the others in the large UH class are honored the right way.
“Everyone wants to be happy on senior night and send the seniors away on a good note,” he said. “It is my first year (here) and yeah, I am a senior, but I owe it to these guys who’ve been here for four, five years. I need to make sure they’re sent out on the right note.”
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.