Dominant Defense: Men’s Basketball Triumphs Over Cal Poly with a 68-55 Victory

HONOLULU – The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball squad exhibited an exceptional defensive display in triumphing over Cal Poly, 68-55, marking its first significant victory of the season on Saturday evening at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. 

In a clash of different strategies, UH (9-5, 1-2) enforced its dominance against the Mustangs (6-10, 0-4 Big West). Cal Poly arrived as the fastest-paced offense in the nation and the top scoring team in the Big West with an impressive average of 84.2 points per game. Nevertheless, UH managed to restrict the Mustangs to nearly 30 points under their usual performance with relentless defense. The Mustangs recorded season lows in points, shooting percentage (.338), three-pointers made (7), and three-point shooting percentage (.226). 

Gytis Nemeikša topped the ‘Bows with 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Tom Beattie contributed 15 points coming off the bench, just one short of his career best. In addition, Tanner Christensen recorded his third double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Owen Koonce netted 15 points for the Mustangs, as no other player surpassed eight points.

The ‘Bows established an early lead, scoring eight of the initial nine points in the game. Cal Poly struggled initially, missing its first 10 attempts and not registering its first field goal until over seven minutes had elapsed in the contest. UH limited the Mustangs to just 25 percent shooting in the first half and held a 27-22 advantage at halftime.

In the opening five minutes of the second half, UH took control. The ‘Bows emerged from the locker room with a 15-2 run, increasing their lead to 42-24. They extended their lead to as high as 20 points, and the Mustangs could not shrink the gap to fewer than 11 points thereafter. Following halftime, UH shot 50 percent while maintaining their strong defensive efforts. The ‘Bows showed excellent ball movement, assisting on 17 of their 23 field goals. 

Next, the Rainbow Warriors will travel for a duo of Big West matches in Southern California, starting with a contest at UC Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 7:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. HT. 

 

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