HONOLULU – The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team saw its three-game win streak snapped with an 83-60 loss to CSUN Thursday night at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Warriors dropped to 11-6 overall and 3-3 in the Big West.
After trailing for the first seven minutes, CSUN (12-6, 4-3) used a pivotal run to take the lead midway through the first half. It was a lead the Matadors would not relinquish as CSUN defeated UH in Honolulu for the first time since 2019.
Scotty Washington led four CSUN players in double-figures with 24 points as the Matadors finished the game shooting 53 percent from the field and an efficient 8-of-14 from three-point land.
The ‘Bows, conversely, struggled from beyond the arc, going just 3-20. That included just 1-of-9 shooting the second half to stymie any comeback hopes.
Aaron Hunkin-Claytor tallied a season-high 10 points off the bench, while Tom Beattie added nine for the Rainbow Warriors. Leading scorer and rebounder Tanner Christensen was limited to just four points and one rebound after being saddled with foul trouble for much of the game.
In a game that featured the top two rebounding teams in the Big West, CSUN dominated with a 40-25 advantage on the glass. It marked just the third time in 17 games this season that the ‘Bows were out-rebounded.
UH scored eight of the first 10 points of the game for a strong start. But after UH held a 12-6 lead five minutes into the game, the Matadors made their move. CSUN went on a 19-4 run to take the lead. The Matadors shot 52 percent in the first half to take a 38-29 lead into the locker room.
Things didn’t get better for UH in the second half as the Matadors continued their torrid play. After falling behind by as many as 22 points, UH cut the deficit to 12 on a Gytis Nemiksa dunk with 6:25 minutes left that energized the home crowd. But Washington scored CSUN’s next 13 points and the Matadors closed the door with a 16-2 run to put the game out of reach.
The Rainbow Warriors will continue its homestand on Saturday, Jan. 18 when it hosts CSU Bakersfield. Tipoff is 7:00 p.m. at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
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