HONOLULU, Hawaii – Chance Hunter had 23 points, nine rebounds and four steals and had a great look to be the hero for Long Beach State, but the final shot didn’t fall and Hawaii handed LBSU a 78-76 defeat late Friday night in the opener of their two-game Big West Conference series.
Long Beach (5-8 overall, 4-5 Big West) had an outstanding opportunity in the final seconds after Hawaii’s Casdon Jardine threw the ball out of bounds with seven seconds left. Long Beach set up a play for its hottest shooter in Hunter, who was open on the wing but the shot came up short and the Rainbow Warriors (9-8, 7-8 Big West) held on for the win.
LBSU opted for a smaller, four-guard starting lineup and opened a 16-5 lead in the first six minutes, pushing its lead to 16 points on a jumper from Hunter with just over six minutes left in the first half. Long Beach shot 56 percent in the first half, going 5 for 10 from 3-point range, but Hawaii settled down in the closing minutes and trimmed the margin to 39-30 by the intermission.
LBSU still shot well in the second half but Hawaii outdid them at 63 percent, including a 5-for-7 mark from beyond the arc. The Warriors took their first lead at 61-60 at the 10-minute mark, and neither team led by more than four the rest of the way.
Isaiah Washington had 17 points and a team-high four assists for Long Beach, but the senior guard battled cramps throughout and played a season-low 28 minutes. Jadon Jones added 12 points and Michael Carter III had 11.
Justin Webster had 16 points to pace Hawaii. JoVon McClanahan had 13 points, Justin Hemsley added 12 points and seven rebounds and Mate Colina had 10 points.
The teams square off again on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT.
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