Warriors hold off Long Beach State, 79-70
Noel Coleman scored a game-high 25 points and Samuta Avea added 17 points tonight to help Hawai’i hold off visiting Long Beach State, 79-70, in frantic Big West Conference men’s basketball action.
A vocal crowd of 4,198 in SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center watched JoVon McClanahan add 15 points as the Warriors improved to 13-4 overall and 3-1 in league play. Tone Hunter scored 18 points and Aboubacar Traore added 16 points for the 49ers, who fell to 8-10, 2-4.
UH trailed 51-47 after Amari Stroud’s putback with 9:13 remaining, Avea swished a 3-pointer from the left corner to ignite a 10-2 run capped by Bernardo da Silva’s jumper which gave the Warriors a 57-53 lead with 6:55 left.
Long Beach State closed it to 69-68 on Stroud’s fadeaway jumper with 2:24 remaining, but that was as close as the 49ers would get as Hawai’i finished the game with a 10-2 run.
The Warriors will remain at home for another BWC game on Monday against CSUN. That game is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.
More details, including video highlights and interviews, will be posted later.
Saturday’s Results
UC Irvine 71, at CSUN 57
at CSU Bakersfield 56, UC San Diego 52
at UC Davis 83, Cal State Fullerton 79
UC Riverside 65, at UC Santa Barbara 64
at Hawai’i 79, Long Beach State 70
