Warriors clinch Big West title with win at UC Davis, 67-65
The regular-season celebration can now begin.
The University of Hawai’i basketball team clinched its first Big West Conference regular-season championship with a scintillating 67-65 victory over UC Davis on Thursday at The Pavilion in Davis, Calif.
The Warriors rallied from an 11-point deficit in the second half to extend their school record road winning streak to seven.
Hawai’i is 24-4 overall and 13-2 in the Big West with one game remaining. At worst, the Warriors could finish in a tie for first place, but they have already secured the No. 1 seed for next week’s Big West Conference Tournament.
Quincy Smith scored 15 points and Sai Tummala added 14 to lead the Warriors’ offense. Roderick Bobbitt added 11 points and five assists despite playing most of the second half in foul trouble.
Bobbitt scored the team’s final four points to secure the win. After trailing by as many as 13 in the first half, the Warriors trailed for more than 18 minutes of the second half.
Stefan Jankovic’s layup and free throw with 1:24 remaining proved to be the go-ahead points.
Hawai’i fell behind, 11-0, to open the game, and Jankovic and Bobbitt both went to the bench in the opening three minutes after each picked up two fouls. The Warriors’ first points of the game came with 14:41 remaining in the first half when Aaron Valdes hit a 3-pointer to make it 11-3.
UC Davis increased the lead to 19-6 with 10:44 remaining, prompting Bobbitt to return to the court with two fouls. The Warriors then responded with a 10-0 run, fueled by two 3-pointers by Sai Tummala, to get back in the game.
Hawai’i took a momentary 23-22 lead with 5:22 remaining on a driving layup by Bobbitt, but the Aggies responded with a 7-0 run to regain control with a 29-23 lead. It was part of a 14-2 surge to close the half, giving UC Davis a 36-25 lead at intermission.
Bobbitt was called for an offensive foul – his third of the game – with 2:20 remaining in the first half.
Hawai’i shot 40.9 percent from the field in the first half, and committed 13 turnovers. Bobbitt played just 11 minutes and Jankovic four minutes in the first half.
The Warriors battled back again, opening the second half with a 9-0 run to cut the UC Davis lead to 36-34. Hawai’i got within two several other times later in the game, and finally caught the Aggies with 1:24 remaining.
Jankovic scored on a layup off an assist from Bobbitt to tie the score at 62. Jankovic was fouled on the play, and he hit the ensuing free throw to give Hawai’i its first lead of the second half at 63-62 with 1:24 remaining.
Valdes then got a crucial steal with less than 30 seconds remaining, and passed it ahead to Bobbitt, who scored on a dunk to give the Warriors a 65-62 lead with 25 seconds remaining.
Darius Graham missed a 3-pointer on UCD’s next possession, and Bobbitt collected the rebound. Bobbitt was fouled with 16.2 seconds remaining and made one of two free throws to seal the victory.
Siler Schneider hit a 3-pointer for UC Davis with 4.8 seconds remaining to cut the Hawai’i lead to 66-65. Bobbitt then hit one of two free throws to make it 67-65 and Graham missed a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Warriors the win.
UC Davis, which dropped to 10-18 and 5-10 with its second loss to Hawai’i, was led by Josh Fox’s 19 points and eight rebounds.
More details will be posted as it becomes available.
CONGRATULATIONS, CHAMPS!
“THE” JUST WIN ‘BOWS!
You wanna talk about overcoming adversity?? Way to never give up Bows!!
Congrats regular season champs!!!
Good win! First Big West regular season banner.
LBSU should be a war!
Go Warriors!
Nice !
The men’s basketball banner at the Stan was in need of an upgrade. Congrats to players, staffs, and fans! Cheeeee!
Seems like all 8 teams. Whomever hot will win in Anaheim hope 5000 Hawaii fans in house. If can only convince boss ? Exciting ball . Good The Aggies gave warriors good test!!
Upgrade or update. Whatevs.
Anyone know if this title will go on Fleming’s resume? I’m assuming no.
Hawaii Warriors#1.Big West CHAMPIONS!!That has a nice sound to it.Hawaii deserves to make it to the dance. This team is special.I’m so excited that I’m going to get me Hawaii Stefan Jankovic jersey tomorrow. Yoohoo!!
Another SENIOR Night
Another ‘Bow WIN
I Told Josh Fox @ Anaheim Last Year
(when we Beat Them As Reg Season Champs)
That He Chose The Wrong Team
(Recruited By UH)
Way to Keep US In It, Q & Tummala
WAY TO FINISH(!), MT, Jank, AV & Rod
HOIW DID They Lose Four Games?
(Most Teams Dealt The Same Cards Would’ve Lost Six or Eight)
IN CASE ANY One Has a Doubt
Great Job, TEAM!
Great Job, STAFF!
NEITHER Would Have Done It Without The Other
IF You Ever DOUBTED That SYNERGY Works
THIS Is a Very Good Example
Previous Teams with “Same Players” (FOTU, Negus, Sammis?)
FINISHED NO Higher Than Fourth
THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED
IF IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO GETS THE CREDIT…
Team1st… first you hate the coach, then you love the team… Players of the game were Quincy Smith (who Benjy Taylor buried on the bench behind Isaac Fleming) and Sai Tummala (who was recruited by Coach Ganot).
Team1st, Runbows, Mr. Bill, CP3ball, Uhfanzonly… please stop the nonsense.
Champs!! When you listen to the coaches good things can happen. In previous years we would have never won these types of games on the road. Coaches and players willed the Warriors to win! I want to see the Championship Tee shirts that Bobby was talking about! Well done Warriors!!!
Tough, gritty win! I lost hope watching it live, but way to battle back and not give up…this team pulls out the wins where we would’ve crumbled last year.
Keep it up, go ‘Bows!
Congrats, Warriors. Now you’re playing with house money because a legitimate postseason berth is already in your pockets. It’s been 12 years since a Hawaii team made it to the postseason (forget the CBI, FBI, NCIS, or whatever), and probably never has one gone 7-0 in conference away from home. And, 13-2 in conference? Awesome.
1-0 Without Fleming Maybe 3-0 considering he barely played the last 3 games as I can Re-Call. Hawaii just beat a team who is 7 Games below 500 njacinto…. Your showing your Rear-End way to soon let the guys win this out don’t jinx us we may be in trouble n the Confr Tourny, hold on 2 your seats guys we are going for a wild ride….
Way to go Rainbow “Road” Warriors! We are all proud of you and what you have accomplished this year! We will see you boys in Anaheim next week! Go Bows!
Congrats guys This is great but I want that big west tournament championship that comes with that automatic birth
The accomplishment is outstanding. They have shown that they play very well under crunch time all season long. That’s poise, confidence, and some good fortune too.Ganot has learned well fromRandy Bennett and Riley Wallace. Matlin looks like a genius for selecting him. Ganot and his coaches have provided structure, teaching, strategy, and preparation to help these guys perform on the court. It didn’t look good at halftime, but I thought they would fight back in the second half and make it a game. The game at Irvine was just like that too. Wow!!! It’s so good to be 24-4 and a share of the Big West regular season championship.
Scary! For the scary good Bows ! It’s the W that’s important. Now focus on the next game. Have fun! Stay healthy!
Team1st… are you Spectator too? LOL Alias #5!
What is ironic. Warriors could beat LBSU finish 14-2 in conference play and rpi near 80 because those last 4 teams they played lower rpi and loss to Riverside.Be assured guys happy NIT is there. However to last man they want NCAA dance nothing less.Not easy. Hope for best.!
What is ironic. Warriors could beat LBSU finish 14-2 in conference play and rpi near 80 because those last 4 teams they played lower rpi and loss to Riverside.Be assured guys happy NIT is there. However to last man they want NCAA dance nothing less.Not easy. Hope for best.!
This shot was close !
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/705619008305803264/pu/vid/1280×720/BzzXV4yrHfP5HWEi.mp4
If UH does not give extension and huge raise for Ganot for guiding warriors to banner win. Something wrong. That is how hard it is to do. What took over 14 years to do? Give Eran2 year extension!!
Congrats to the team! Including Fleming, despite his voluntary departure. He played a big role in the process, it’s just a shame he chose not to be there to cross the finish line. Well done to the entire team and coaches, very proud of their accomplishments and representing the school and the state! Now let’s finish the job on Saturday and spoil Long Beach State’s senior night. Let’s go BOWS!
Congratulations to all for becoming the champion of the Big West. Must say this team can do miraculous things after all they went through.
Hey NCAA if UH deserves as you profess a 1 year post season band in 2017 than you must give Louisville and North Carolina at least a 3 to 4 year band for what they did.
Besides breaking NCAA rules they broke laws governing our citizens. Prostitution and scholarship fraud, and the many others that are covered up.
IF WE and a Few ‘Good’ Friends…
START OUR OWN New Organization
THAT Same Way AVCA, AIAW, NAIA, CFA, etc…did
BUT IT WAS CHARTERED And Honestly Run…
To Totally Benefit (Fairly) Student-Athletes
AND Member Programs
(Yes, Sometimes At-Odds ‘Against’ Each Other)
VOTED ON By ALL Members
NOT Just an Elite, Rich Few
Eventually Even The Same Greedy Power-Hungry Rich Institutions
Would Get Tired of Trumping-Bushing-Rubio-ing Each Other (Or Not)
BUT In The Meantime, At Least WE Would Be Part of A Fairer, Less Arbitrary People-Centric Org
BUT That Probably Would Require Jettisoning The SELF-Serving UH Administrators First…
—————
I Thinking THIS WILL BE…
The BIGGEST HAWAI’I Crowd In ANAHEIM
Kinda Like The Way HAWAI’I Over-Ran New Orleans and The Sugar Bowl
Hawai’i ‘FANS’ Love Winners, Especially Champs
Look At The Traffic and ‘New’ Names @ This Site…
[GREAT JOB WI Staff, Dayton, Schmidts…]
BUT …For THIS WEEK
“JUST” WIN TWO ‘BOWS!
‘COS NEXT WEEK
WE ARE LOOKIN’ For…
JUST WIN THREE
JUST KEEP WINNIN’
GO CHAMPS!
GO ‘BOWS!
Tavs, your right about the SSC needing more banners, lol. Kinda sad whenever I’m in there looking up at the rafters and only see a few banners and most of them are for volleyball, smh. Hopefully, this season is the start of good things to come in the future and we can hang more banners for basketball…..Also, let’s hope the post-season ban gets lifted and EG can persevere through the sanctions to keep UH MBB going strong in the future.
islandman, that was a close shot, whew! So elated UH pulled that W out. Actually, it should’ve never come that close at the end if Bobbitt didn’t miss those late free throws. Really hoping FT don’t end up being a reason why UH loses a game IF they lose tomorrow or in the BWT…but, at least so far FT hasn’t cost us a game yet.