UH at CSF (2/28/26)
It's about how you finish, not how you start!
The University of Hawaiʻi Men's Basketball team trailed for much of their final road contest of the Big West season but finished on the winning side of things over the Cal State Fullerton Titans, 87-85, at Titan Gym on Saturday!
The win put UH back in a dead even tie with UC Irvine at the top of the Big West standings at 13-5 each after Irvine defeated UC Santa Barbara at home earlier this week.
Dre Bullock was 5-of-8 from 3-point range, which included the game-winning triple at the buzzer to lead the 'Bows with 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting; he added a game-high eight rebounds! Isaac Johnson added in 22 points of his own and was 3-of-8 from 3-point range. Harry Rouhliadeff chipped in 10 points himself in the win!
Josh Ward led a five-pack of double-digit scoring Titans with 16 points and added a game-high eight assists! Jaden Henderson and Landon Seaman added 14 apiece with Seaman going 3-of-7 from 3-point range. Bailey Nunn added 11 points of his own and was a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range. Christian Williams chipped in 10 himself.
Fullerton got off to a quick 5-0 start and forced UH to play catch-up for much of the night!
Gytis Nemeikša got UH on the board after he was fouled by CSF's Bryce Cofield on a 3-pointer. Nemeikša sank all three free throws and added a triple of his own to give UH its first lead of the game, 6-5, over three minutes in.
Fullerton took the lead back on a Seaman triple on the next possession. It generated a 9-0 CSF run to take a 14-6 lead.
UH responded there and used a 10-2 run punctuated by a Rouhliadeff triple to tie the score at 16 with 9:47 to go! Things got bad for UH when Hunter Erickson took a shot to his left cheek on the next possession and did not return for the rest of the first half.
With Erickson down for the first half, things looked bad for UH when they fell victim to a 13-0 Fullerton run. However, eight total made triples in the first half alone kept UH in the game. By halftime, UH trailed, 35-32.
Erickson did return for the second half, but despite not scoring overall, he did help out defensively. Johnson began the second half with a good jumper on UH's second possession, but CSF efficiently answered every push UH made.
UH was able to take the lead on several occasions. The first came off a Bullock triple with 16:50 to go. It was back and forth between the two teams, but Fullerton surged ahead to lead by as many as nine. It came down to the final four minutes.
With 3:37 remaining, Fullerton held a 79-70 lead, and it appeared that it was over, but UH was not so sure! Two Rouhliadeff free throws and a fourth made triple from Bullock generated a 14-0 UH run, and UH found themselves in the lead, 84-79, with 29 seconds left, but things nearly went awry after that.
Fullerton's Kiwane Garris Jr. completed a 3-point play with 21 seconds left. Williams forced a Rouhliadeff turnover on the in-bound with 16 seconds left, and Fullerton had at least one more chance. Garris tried a triple, but Rouhliadeff blocked the shot. Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro got the offensive rebound and gave Garris a second chance.
Garris stung the 'Bows with a corner triple on his second try to punctuate what was a 6-0 CSF run! With nine seconds left, CSF was now back in front, 85-84, and it appeared that was it!
With UH down to its final chance, Bullock got the ball down the court. Erickson was blocked in the lane, and he dished the ball to Bullock! With two seconds left, Bullock put up a prayer at the top of the key and banked what was his fifth triple of the game, and UH's first road sweep of the 2025-26 season!
In total, UH ended the game on a 17-6 run in the final 3:37!
UH improves to 21-7 overall in the 2025-26 season! The 'Bows will return home to Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center for their final two home games against UC Riverside on Thursday, Mar. 5, and Long Beach State on Saturday, Mar. 7! Both tipoffs are scheduled for 7 pm HST, and you can watch the games on Spectrum Sports or listen on the radio at ESPN Honolulu!
