Hawaiʻi ends home season with 21st win over UC Irvine

Do not give up on this team just yet.

​

The University of Hawaiʻi Men's Basketball team made Senior Night unforgettable on a nationally televised audience and in front of a sellout crowd as they wrestled a win from the UC Irvine Anteaters (20-10, 13-5), 72-65, at the Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday. Simultaneously, Samuta Avea, Kamaka Hepa, and Juan Munoz were honored.

​

The 'Bows (21-9, 12-6) got off to a 6-1 start, but the Anteaters battled back to take the lead. They would pull out their lead to as many as seven points, but UH did not quit. With Bernardo da Silva sidelined for this game, Mor Seck got to start for the first time this season, and he took advantage of it.

​

Behind the services of Seck and JoVon McClanahan, UH battled hard and did not let Irvine out of sight. McClanahan led the way with 27 points and a team-high seven assists; Seck also came up big with a double-double (14 pts., 16 rebounds), three monster dunks, and logged his best performance since the Diamond Head Classic Championship match on Dec. 25, 2022. UH came back to trail by two, 35-33, at the break.

​

Irvine extended its lead to nine and still led for much of the second half; they withstood possible runs by the 'Bows, but UH had no intention of losing on Senior Night. UH made multiple runs, but Irvine still banked timely triples from DJ Davis (27 pts.), who ended up with six overall. UH finally took the lead via an Avea triple with under six minutes remaining.

​

Harry Rouhliadeff came off the bench for a 10-point performance to help UH out; that included one of UH's five triples overall.

​

Once UH took the lead via that Avea triple, they did not let it go. Despite a Davis triple that tied the game at 62 with 4:15 remaining, UH's defense was relentless. The 'Bows outscored the Anteaters, 10-5, from that point on to ice the win.

​

With the win, UH is now just one game out of first place, which is currently a three-way tie between UC Santa Barbara, Irvine, and Riverside.

​

UH will travel on the road for their last two road games of the season at Northridge on Mar. 2 at 5 pm HST and at UC Santa Barbara on Mar. 4 at 4 pm HST. The UCSB game will be televised on ESPNU, but both games can be heard on ESPN Honolulu.