Warriors surge past Cal State Fullerton, 81-61
Negus Webster-Chan scored a season-high 18 points and Roderick Bobbitt added 17 points tonight to help Hawai’i surge past visiting Cal State Fullerton, 81-61, in Big West Conference men’s basketball action.
A feisty Valentine’s Day crowd of 5,958 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched Quincy Smith contribute 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists off the bench and Stefan Jankovic add 12 points and seven rebounds as the Rainbow Warriors improved to 18-9 overall, 6-5 in the Big West. The Titans fell to 9-16, 1-9.
UH won despite leading scorer Aaron Valdes sitting out in street clothes due to a left ankle injury and also losing starting forward Mike Thomas and top reserve Isaac Fleming to similar injuries in the first half. Fleming spent the second half with his right foot elevated on a stool and Thomas was wearing a soft protective boot.
Also, starting shooting guard and co-captain Garrett Nevels received back-to-back technical fouls for complaining to the officials and was ejected with 7:05 remaining in the game. He finished with five points, six rebounds and three assists.
Webster-Chan scored all 18 of his points on 3-pointers, making 6 of 11 attempts from beyond the arc.
Hawai’i led, 40-38, despite losing Fleming to an apparent right ankle injury with 8:17 remaining and Thomas to a right foot injury with 2:21 left. Starting forward Jankovic also was injured (back of head) on the same play as Fleming and sat out the rest of the half, though he did return to start the second half.
The Rainbow Warriors began the game with leads of 5-0 and 8-2 in the first couple minutes, but Cal State Fullerton quickly tied it at 8-8 and eventually took a 21-20 lead on Steve McClellan’s turnaround jumper with 10:36 remaining. Webster-Chan answered with a 3-pointer from the right wing to ignite a 12-3 run capped by his own 3-pointer to push UH ahead, 32-24, with 5:56 left.
The Rainbow Warriors still led, 40-32, when Thomas went out, but the Titans got back-to-back 3s from Jordan Mason and Lanerryl Johnson to close it to 40-38 by halftime.
The Warriors will return to the road next for Big West games at UC Irvine on Feb. 19, and at UC Davis on Feb. 21.
More details, including video highlights and interviews, will be posted later.
(Game photo courtesy Matt Osumi)
What a game ! Everything happened.
Sheeeets…..all injuries….horrible baiting refs…crew after uh mbb team
step up…niko and dyrbe…see..we said at beginning of season…be ready next man up
All the guys. …team win…
Just mbb team be healthy for bwc tourney…3 games. And go
Team 2 wins away from 20 wins!
What up?
Warriors..
shoots and Benjy great job
best game through adversity…ever seen in 46 years!!
🙂
Wow, one by one the players were dropping like flies out of the game. Flemming and Jankovic goes down. Then Thomas. Nevels gets ejected and Jovanovic fouls out. Only Enos and Flipovich remaining on the bench. If the game was close and we went overtime that would have been scary. Good thing Fullerton could not make their shots and ours were falling. Never seen BT so happy with a win. And a pretty good crowd too considering Valentine’s Day.
Horrible officiating. Those refs should never be able to ref any level higher than youth basketball. So many blatant fouls that were no-calls, Nevels gets whacked across his head and body and the refs call nothing. Absolutely ridiculous. Nevels had every right to complain after that BS.
On another note, I hope Fleming and MT will heal up as soon as possible. Lingering ankle sprains are a pain…
Refs missed a lot of calls…And UH MBB team Still won big.. I think Quincy Smith had a huge game, the energy, No Turnovers, 4 steals, 7 rebounds..really helped blow open game, and NWC and Janks their offense, just took over.. Bobbitt, Nevels.. whomever left standing.. Niko, Dyrbe
Unreal, this Team , Heart of Champions, and Warriors
Yes, Jay Goo has a lot of work to do.. rehab 3 guys to get them ready for BWC tourney.. if anyone can do it, glad it isn’t blown knees..
Jay can
Big Win, Benjy and the Bows !
Go get 1 or 2 next week in Cali !!