UH Vs. CSUN (1/24/26)

Make it nine in a row at home! The University of Hawaiʻi Men's Basketball team closed out another homestand with an 89-68 win over the Cal State Northridge Matadors at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Thursday! Isaac Johnson led the 'Bows with 18 points and seven rebounds! Gytis Nemeikša was next with 16 points and six rebounds; both Johnson and Nemeikša were 3-of-4 and 3-of-5 from 3-point range respectively. Dre Bullock chipped in 13 points himself, along with seven rebounds; Isaac Finlinson and Hunter Erickson added 11 points and 10 points respectively with six rebounds each. Larry Hughes II led the Matadors with 19 points and two rebounds. He was followed by Mahmoud Fofana's 14 points and five rebounds. Josiah Davis and Joshua O'Garro added 11 each with O'Garro chipping in a game-high 11 rebounds for a double-double. James Evans Jr. added 10 points and three rebounds. UH and CSUN had trouble buying a field goal until CSUN's Hughes drew first blood under 90 seconds in. UH's Johnson responded on the next possession with a put-back off a missed Bullock triple. Neither team got a solid rhythm going, and many up close shots did not drop through the netting. Fortunately, UH led most of the first half. By the first media timeout, UH held a small 7-4 lead off a Nemeikša triple.

UH was able to spurt into a good-sized lead, 23-16, with 7:51 remaining, but they fell victim to a 9-2 CSUN run, and things were tied at 25 all.

In the final five minutes, UH got hot and nailed their final four shots. That included triples from Finlinson and Johnson, whose was at the buzzer. At halftime, UH took a 40-34 advantage. UH spared Northridge a triple to begin the second half. Johnson continued his hot shooting with back-to-back triples as part of a 15-2 UH run, including 12 unanswered. Just like that, UH found themselves up, 55-39, and would never look back. For UH, this is now their ninth consecutive win at home in 2025-26! They shot an astonishing 64% in the second half and romped Northridge in bench points, 31-3! UH improves to 15-4 in the 2025-26 season and remain tied at the top of the Big West Standings with UC Irvine at 7-2. Irvine barely squeaked by UC San Diego, 61-59, at UCSD earlier this week. UH will hit the road on Thursday, Jan. 29 against UC Irvine. Tipoff at the Bren Events Center is scheduled for 6 p.m. HST, and you can watch the game on ESPNU or listen on the radio at ESPN Honolulu.