Warrior Insider

Jack Purchase, Leland Green and Noah Allen each scored a career-high
25 points tonight — including Allen’s game-tying layup at the end of
regulation — to lift Hawai’i to a stunning 114-107 overtime victory
over visiting Long Beach State in thrilling Big West Conference men’s
basketball action.

A spirited and vocal crowd of about 4,800 watched Brocke Stepteau add
14 points and Zigmars Raimo contribute 11 points off the bench as the
Warriors improved to 7-9, 1-2 in the Big West. Evan Payne scored 27
points, Noah Blackwell added 17 points and Temidayo Yussuf added 16
points and seven rebounds for the 49ers, who dropped to 6-14 overall,
1-3.

Green converted a three-point play after a baseline drive four seconds
into overtime, Purchase swished a 3-pointer 40 seconds later and
Raimo made a free throw to give UH a 98-91 lead with 3:51 remaining,
and Long Beach State could not get closer than five points after that.

Allen had sent the game into overtime tied at 91-91 by driving to the
basket and laying it in at the buzzer after receiving a halfcourt
inbounds pass from Zigmars Raimo.

Justin Bibbins had made both ends of a 1-and-1 with 3.1 seconds
remaining to give The Beach a 91-89 lead.

Bibbins’ free throw came 19 seconds after UH’s Sheriff Drammeh tied
the game at 89-89 with two free throws. After working the clock down,
Bibbins drove to the basket and drew the foul on Drammeh near the free
throw line.

Long Beach State led, 47-40, at halftime and was up, 66-53, after
Yussuf’s layup with 12:23 remaining in the game.

But UH chipped away and eventually closed it to 84-83 after Brocke
Stepteau’s two free throws with 3:39 left.

The 49ers later stretched it to 89-84 after Blackwell’s 3-pointer from
the top of the key with 2:36 remaining, but Purchase answered with his
own 3 from the same spot at the other end to close it to 89-87 with
1:56 left.

More details, including video highlights and interviews, will be posted later.

(Game photo courtesy Matt Osumi)

Big West Conference
Saturday’s Results
at UC Irvine 87, Cal State Fullerton 67
at UC Santa Barbara 58, Cal Poly 53
UC Davis 71, at CSUN 68
at Hawai’i 114, Long Beach State 107