Bullock hits 1,000 points as short-handed Hawai’i rolls Cal State Bakersfield

HONOLULU – Next man, every man.

But how about give it up for Dre, man?

Senior guard Dre Bullock ticked over the 1,000-point mark for his Division I college career on Thursday night, tallying his first double-double as a Rainbow Warrior as he racked up a team-best 17 points and tied his career high with 12 rebounds to help a banged-up University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team race past Cal State Bakersfield (8-13, 2-7 Big West) inside Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, 98-71.

“It means a lot,” Bullock said of reaching the 1,000-point milestone, though he added that it wasn’t his focus entering the game. “I’ve been at a lot of different schools and luckily, I finally got it here in Hawai’i. It’s definitely a blessing.”

After stops at Louisiana Tech, Niagara and North Dakota, the 6-foot-6 guard feels like he found a home with a deeper connection in Hawai’i for his final year. It helps that he’s enjoying the best season of his college career, but there is cause to think the two may be intertwined.

“I feel like this is probably the best fit [at a school], the best year I’ve had so far,” Bullock said about being with the Rainbow Warriors. “Most I’ve won [is here], a lot of great coaches here, the fan base is cool. Everybody off the court, great support system. Yeah, just shoutout Hawai’i.”

Coming off of a disappointing showing last Saturday at UC Santa Barbara, the first-place Rainbow Warriors were hit by another stroke of bad luck after returning home as starting point guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor suffered a left foot injury at the beginning of Wednesday’s practice that will keep him out for an indefinite period of time.

Bullock noted that the sophomore’s absence would force others to step up and fill in where Hunkin-Claytor normally quietly connects the dots for UH.

With just 10 players dressed, Hawai’i (14-4, 6-2 Big West) got contributions from up and down the roster as six guys finished in double figures and all 10 scored against the Roadrunners. Junior guard Isaiah Kerr added a season-best 16 points and grabbed five rebounds off the bench for UH while Isaac Johnson chipped in 12 points in only 15 minutes of work.

“The show must go on,” head coach Eran Ganot remarked about dealing with injuries. “I’m very appreciative of this group in that regard. Hopefully we can stay healthy the rest of the way and get some guys back.”

Starting forward Harry Rouhliadeff and sixth man Gytis Nemeikša put up identical nights as each scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds while backup big man Yacine Toumi turned in his fifth game in double digits this year with 10 points to go along with seven rebounds off the bench. Ike Finlinson, who made his first career start in the place of the injured Hunkin-Claytor, scored nine points and grabbed three rebounds in the win.

“Everybody on the court and on our team was ready [to do more],” said Bullock. “Yeah, it definitely sucks, but you know, injuries happen. Coach just emphasized next man up and I think everybody contributed.”

The Hawai’i bench tripled the production of their CSUB counterparts, outscoring the Roadrunner reserves throughout the night, 45-15. Down to just 10 healthy bodies, the Rainbow Warriors were able to escape without a single player totaling 30 or more minutes in the first of two games this week.

A vicious Bullock slam helped Hawai’i race out of the gates, gliding to a 24-6 advantage through eight minutes of action behind the soaring senior wing, a few frontcourt guys and an aggressive Isaiah Kerr.

The North Carolina native continued on the attack as the opening half progressed, helping keep CSUB at a distance as he dominated the defensive glass and attacked in transition to put UH up 41-24 with under four minutes left before halftime. Kerr pushed the Hawai’i lead to 20 just before the half with a trip to the charity stripe, but an old-fashioned three-point play from Roadrunners guard Mike Price made it a 48-30 margin at the break.

The offensive onslaught rolled on when play resumed as Bullock tallied his 1,000th point at Division I with a left-wing three with more than 15 minutes left to play. The Hawai’i lead grew as large as 30 as the second half progressed, seeing the Rainbow Warriors shoot over 51% from the floor after halftime.

Kerr looked as aggressive as any game yet in his UH career, continuing to attack the rim in transition after halftime as he recorded his third game with 10+ points in the last five outings.

“I think it’s just starting to flow more,” said the transfer from Chico State about his adjustment to the Division I level after posting his season high in points. “The more I play, the more comfortable I feel like I’m getting … I think we’ve got a great chemistry on our team, so just being able to go out there and play free [has helped].”

Freshman guard Hunter Carter also turned in the best stretch of his young college career, totaling five points, two rebounds and an assist in six minutes to close out the 98-71 win.

Carter had dealt with an injury that had kept him out of practice for nearly 10 days before getting cleared the morning of the CSUB game.

“Obviously moving forward with more practice, he can help us more,” Ganot said of the freshman. “Look, we need everybody to get this thing done.”

Hawai’i remained tied atop the Big West standings with the win, locked with UC Irvine at 6-2 in conference play. The Anteaters picked up an 80-66 road win over UC Riverside on Thursday and will square off with UC San Diego on Saturday in La Jolla.

The Rainbow Warriors will play host to Cal State Northridge on Saturday with tip scheduled for 7 p.m. HT.