CSUN outlasts Warriors in OT, 88-80
Five minutes of extra basketball proved to be five minutes too many for the short-handed University of Hawai’i basketball team in an 88-80 overtime loss at CSUN on Saturday.
The Warriors appeared to be in control for almost the entire 40-minute regulation before fading late in the Big West Conference game played at The Matadome in Northridge, Calif.
Hawai’i led by as many as 23 points in the first half, and then 15 points in the second half, but got out-scored 13-5 in overtime.
The Warriors dropped to 8-8 overall and 6-8 in the Big West. Hawai’i is now in seventh place in the 10-team conference standings (which is based on winning percentage for this season). The Matadors improved to 8-9 and are in ninth place at 4-6.
Casdon Jardine led the Warriors with 22 points and nine rebounds. He shot 7 for 12 from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range.
Freshman guard Biwali Bayles and sophomore guard Noel Coleman also had season-best performances in the loss. Bayles finished with season-highs of 15 points and six assists; Coleman scored a season-high 15, and shot 4 for 7 from 3-point range.
The Warriors had their best 3-point game of the season, shooting 13 for 29 (44.8 percent) from beyond the arc. However, they were only 28 for 69 (40.6 percent) from the field overall.
The Matadors also made 13 3-pointers, and Amound Anderson’s 3-pointer to open the overtime gave CSUN a 78-75 lead – its first lead of the entire game. The Matadors rode that momentum and controlled the entire five-minute OT.
The Warriors hit their first three 3-point attempts of the game – two by Jardine and one by Bayles – for a 9-2 lead that set the tone for regulation.
Hawai’i increased the lead to 16-4, then 28-9 with 12:00 still remaining in the first half. Jardine and Noel Coleman combined for 19 points, including 4 for 4 shooting from 3-point range in the first 10 minutes of the game.
The Warriors led by as many as 23 (37-14) in the first half, but the Matadors used a 14-0 run late in the half to get back in the contest. Hawai’i held a 39-32 lead at intermission.
Jardine had 16 points and five rebounds in the first half. He shot 5 of 7 from the field, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
CSUN cut the Hawai’i lead to four in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Warriors managed to build the advantage back up to 15 (63-48) with 11:18 remaining in the second half.
But just like in Friday’s series opener, the Matadors staged a furious late-game surge behind TJ Starks. His layup with 4:39 remaining cut the Hawai’i lead to 74-73, setting the stage for a second consecutive game with late drama.
CSUN finally caught the Warriors with 1:54 remaining tying the score at 75 on a driving layup by Brown. He was also fouled on the play, but missed the ensuing free throw.
Both teams squandered opportunities in the final 1:50 of regulation, sending it to overtime tied at 75.
CSUN’s Darius Brown II posted a triple-double in the victory – 18 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. He also had five of CSUN’s 10 steals. Starks added 28 points, giving him 59 in the two games against Hawai’i.
The Warriors played without starting guard Justin Webster, who is averaging 12.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. The sophomore co-captain was not with the team at the arena due to undisclosed medical reasons.
Hawai’i will return to Honolulu next week for the final two home games of the season. The Warriors will host Long Beach State on February 26 and 27 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
Saturday’s Results
at CSUN 88, Hawai’i 80 (OT)
at Long Beach State 74, Cal Poly 69
*at UC San Diego 83, UC Riverside 82 (OT)
Cal State Fullerton 67, UC Irvine 64
UC Santa Barbara 63, CSU Bakersfield 44
