Warriors close regular season with loss at Northridge
The good news is the Hawai’i basketball team will start a whole new season next week at the Big West Conference Tournament.
The not-so-good news is that the Warriors ended the regular season with an 88-75 road loss at Cal State Northridge on Thursday.
The Warriors got out-scored 25-9 in the final 10 minutes of the game to drop to 17-13 overall and 10-8 in the Big West. Hawaii is currently in fifth place, and – depending on the outcome of other games on Saturday – will be either the 5 or 6 seed for next week’s Big West Conference Tournament at Anaheim, Calif.
“I thought we did play hard, but we got tired at the end,” head coach Gib Arnold said. “Guys played a lot of minutes. And (Northridge) played like a team that really had nothing to lose. They played really loose, and those teams sometimes can get really dangerous.”
A crowd of 1,164 at the Matadome in Northridge, Calif., watched the Matadors snap a six-game losing streak and complete their season at 14-17 overall and 5-13 in conference. They are locked at ninth place, and will not qualify for the eight-team Big West Tournament.
Junior forward Christian Standhardinger led the Warriors with 26 points. He shot 8 for 17 from the field and 9 of 12 on free throws, and also grabbed seven rebounds.
Senior center Vander Joaquim contributed 16 points and a career-high 19 rebounds to lead the Warriors to a 44-30 advantage on the boards.
Senior wing Hauns Brereton added 18 points and six rebounds, and shot 3 for 5 from 3-point range.
The Warriors had a 43-39 lead at halftime, and led by as many as five points early in the second half. After going 5 for 11 from 3-point range in the first half, the Warriors shot 0 for 7 from beyond the arc in the second half.
“We were able to get that ball inside (in the first half) and we hit some 3-pointers, too, which made it a lot easier,” Arnold said. “That second half, we just went real cold from the outside.”
Hawai’i finished at a respectable 45.5 percent from the field, while Northridge shot 45.8 percent. However, the Matadors went 23 of 27 on free throws to Hawai’i’s 10 for 16.
The Warriors also could not contain the outside-in Northridge duo of Josh Greene and Stephen Maxwell. Greene, a 6-foot junior, scored 37 points, including 7-of-14 shooting from 3-point range, to lead the Matadors. Maxwell, a 6-7 sophomore, added 24 points and 13 rebounds.
“The biggest thing is obviously Josh Greene,” Arnold said. “We just didn’t have anybody that could stop him. We went man, we went zone, we went box-and-one, we tried some different things on him, and the guy just had a phenomenal night. We just didn’t have the quickness to stay with him.”
The Warriors took a 66-63 lead with 10:20 remaining after Standhardinger drained two free throws. Two minutes later, Brandon Jawato was assessed a flagrant foul, and it ignited a 12-3 run by the Matadors that put Northridge ahead for good at 75-69 with 3:59 remaining.
Moments later, the Matadors put the game away with a 10-0 surge that increased their lead to 85-71 with 1:03 remaining.
“Defense. It was just strictly defense,” Northridge head coach Bobby Braswell said. “You saw our guys get down and slap the floor and they were determined to get stops. We got stops, and got some turnovers, and some easy baskets and it just changed the whole game.”
Hawai’i senior Jace Tavita started at point guard despite sitting out of recent practices with an injured pinkie finger on his left (non-shooting) hand. He did not score, but passed for six assists in 38 minutes.
The Warriors will return to Honolulu on Friday and will depart for Anaheim next Tuesday. The Big West Tournament is scheduled for March 14-16.
“I think it’ll be a really tightly contested tournament and I wouldn’t be surprised if every game goes down to the wire,” Arnold said.
(Game photos courtesy Warren Haraki)
Who knows, loss of Brandon Spearman and his 10-11 pts, and defense/hustle might have helped UH get some defensive stops. Once again, nothing new, if BWC team has one or two quick athletic guard/fowards , and they go off for career nites, UH would lose, at home or away. Too bad, UH not at full strength with Brandon Spearman.
Well, team cannot, mope and feel sorry for themselves, Gib has to prop them up, get a scout on who they will play next week, and try to get win, so they can continue their season, now critical that Gib and Warriors get that first round win and get to 18 wins. If not, maybe season is over.
It has been an up and down season, maybe UH can win a couple of games and get to Championship game. What is hard, BWC teams, UH really doesn’t matchup well, especially the guards and wings.
Good nite for Christian and Vander , Hauns, team just went cold from outside, too bad, they weren’t hot from 3 line in second half, they would have probably won.
Team is down now. Guys come home, get rest, get back to classes, and get ready for BWC tourney.
Tough and disappointing loss. Inconsistent play has been as prevalent as ever for Hawaii this conference season. The team just has to bounce back. It’s that time of year to just toughen up and play with grit and determination.
(Sorry — Dayton & Co. Please Delete Earlier “Typo”]
ONE WEEK to Fill in the Blanks, The Gaps, Re-Charge the Legs —
Tonight seemed to have a Winning Formula ʻtil around the last seven minutes or so…
For One (or three) games have to last/play hard for 40 …
Finish Strong, Better than Last Year
Leave it all on the floor…
Totally soured. Should have beat the worst team in the conference.
Eagle: Well my fell MBB fan Eagle, you are a real fan of team. Correct, UH has one more shot at finishing great. If they can get first game, then semi final, if reach championship, anything can happen, UH still can go to NCAA’s or with a 19 win record maybe CIT.
What is getting harder for Gib, the matchups, UH cannot stay with the quick BWC guards, and the athletic, though slender and smaller, BWC forwards. UH you can see them running out of gas, getting exhausted chasing the hot 3 ball shooters on the other teams. The BWC guards know they can take UH guards , bigs, and forwards. I don’t know what Gib will do. Seems he has tried every combination, every defensive and offensive scheme he knows. The Bigs played pretty well, Fotu could have contributed more, not much from guards in terms of defending Green and scoring from outside in last 7 minutes or so. If that kid Green didn’t score 20 something points in first half, maybe only 10, UH would probably be up 12 at half, and maybe held on to win.
Eagle, we been cheering on the guys through thick and thin, for going on 3 years, now, if we are true fans, whomever the coach and players are, we are not going to stop now.
Hey UH MBB team. You still have the hard core fans right here, Regroup, re-energize, go to classes , keep up GPA, and play loose have fun, like Northridge did, nothing to lose, everything to gain, by beating your first round opponent. Clean slate, every team is 0-0 going into BWC tournament. Go Warriors.
Fly like an Eagle!
Hey UH fans, I might be kidding myself, I think UH team cannot keep up with the speed and quickness of all the other 9 BWC teams. In the BWC tournament, maybe anything can happen, However, if UH cannot guard the 3 point line, or stop quick guards and forwards on opponents teams from scoring at will. No defensive stops, 7,8 or 9 in a row, unless at 17 wins you qualify for CIT, I think next week Thursday you are one and done in first round game.
Please, use this post for chalkboard material. Stir you guys up, get angry, and go out and win the BWC tournament, however without Spearman, and having a Shamburger, and a Greene(the Northridge PG /SG), it will be hard to do.
I think in all honesty, your season might be over in one week.
You are great young guys, go to class, and work towards a degree, for Vander and Hauns, after season ends, look for good opportunity for pro ball, and Jace, congratulations on graduation this May with degree in hand. Thanks to all of the kids great families.
Kind of sad , for me long time MBB fan, however, I will still watch the opening round BWC game with UH vs whomever,hoping, however, it doesn’t look good.
Prove ME WRONG GUYS!!
People say every cloud has been for some good
You may contribute to this loss of a much more serious and better prepare for the tournament
The tournament is a new beginning I always look forward to a fresh new start
I’ve watched and read what was possible for me, and I believe you guys have a good chance, just need each of you to achieve that little stabilizing and equalizes the level their own game, and the coaches that subsequently stacked puzzle in one space.
It is necessary to remove the causes of the rise and fall of each player’s playing, because almost all have too little oscillations in different matches playing, a little deviating from the usual and acceptable difference in the quality of play
Iʻm SURE Most or ALL Returnees WILL Come Back Next Year Better or A Lot Better…
AS Ozi Mum Points Out Consistency is a Worthy Goal and Standard
Weʻve been Good in Spurts, Good for 17, 20, 30, 33 even 37 minutes…
BUT There is Still Time this year for Any & All Warriors to
Have & Finish a Great Year… 30 Seconds or 20 minutes off the bench…
Donʻt Lose Sight of Your Man.
Donʻt Let him Separate on a screen, even Catch a Ball Or Leave Him Wide Open
PUSH Through the Weariness, Dead Leg Feeling or Mental & Physical Fatigue
Push Through ʻtil That Second & Third Wind Energizes You
Instinct or Burst of Speed Causes Another Good or Great Play
to the Stop, Smother D, Finished Lay-Up, Steal, Rebound, Loose Ball & Three
You ALL Know How…
ALL Have Experienced it Before
WIN Warriors!
One More…
Disappointing loss. At one time, 18-20 win season looked good. But, now I dunno know. I guess we just have to wait and see which team comes out to play next week.
All Quiet…Alright
Make Some Noise, ʻBows!