Flavell’s late heroics help No. 4 Hawaii stun top-seeded UC Irvine

Flavell’s late heroics help No. 4 Hawaii stun top-seeded UC Irvine

Mar 13, 2026

Flavell’s late heroics help No. 4 Hawaii stun top-seeded UC Irvine

Hawaii G Bailey Flavell & Keiara Curtis run down the court during a home game. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

 

Fabulous freshman to the rescue.

Behind late heroics from Big West Freshman of the Year Bailey Flavell, the No. 4-seeded University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team stunned top-seeded UC Irvine (26-6) in overtime of the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Championship semifinals on Friday afternoon, 67-63.

Flavell paced the Rainbow Wahine with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including the game-tying three with 7.7 seconds to play in regulation and a go-ahead jumper with 1:28 left in overtime that ultimately proved to be the game-winner for UH.

“Proud of our group,” head coach Laura Beeman said following the win by Hawai’i. “We have three kids that were in double figures and three people that were at nine [points], and it’s really hard to beat a team that plays team ball.”

Senior forwards Imani Perez and Saniyah Neverson were the other two UH players to eclipse double digit points as Perez scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds in a team-high 41 minutes of work while Neverson chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocks for the Rainbow Wahine.

Freshman guard Teyahna Bond scored nine points and dished out five assists off the bench for Hawai’i (22-10) while redshirt junior guard Jovi Lefotu added a critical nine points of her own, including an 8-0 run to close the third quarter that helped send the Rainbow Wahine into the final 10 minutes of regulation leading by 10.

Sophomore center Ritorya Tamilo, the 2026 Big West Sixth Player of the Year, tacked on nine points, three boards and three blocks in 22 minutes off the bench, helping Hawai’i hold UC Irvine to 29% shooting overall.

“This is who we have been all year long, even when we were 0-5 to start the [Big West schedule],” Beeman said after her young team after reaching the program’s third Big West Championship game in the last five years. “This group never stopped working, they never stopped believing, they never stopped next play mentality.”

Hawai’i started quickly behind a trio of 3-pointers from Imani Perez, taking a 20-16 lead over UC Irvine after 10 minutes of play. It was the third straight game that the Rainbow Wahine offense was able to post a 20-spot in the opening quarter and the second time in 13 frames against the Anteaters that UH eclipsed 20-plus points in a single period.

The UC Irvine offense started to rev up in the second quarter behind Big West Player of the Year Hunter Hernandez, who scored nine of her game-high 33 points in the frame and hit a triple to put UCI up by a point over Hawai’i with 2:18 left. UH closed with a 10-0 run, seeing Bond and Tamilo take turns with personal five-point flurries to send the fourth-seeded Rainbow Wahine into the locker rooms leading 39-30 over the Anteaters.

Hernandez continued on the hunt for UCI when play resumed in the second half, attacking for six more points in the third quarter before Big West Newcomer of the Year Jada Wynn drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to bring the Anteaters within two with 2:46 left in the frame.

Looking to slow down the UC Irvine momentum, the Rainbow Wahine turned to Lefotu and saw the redshirt junior turn back the clock to flashes of her ‘Iolani stardom as she drilled back-to-back triples of her own and ripped off eight straight points to send UH into the fourth quarter leading by 10.

“I know in the first half I was rushing some or forcing some shots that weren’t there,” Lefotu said when asked about what sparked her finish to the third frame. “Just trusting my shot going into the second half, just doing what the defense was giving me.”

Wynn and Hernandez helped UCI storm back in the final frame of regulation, combining for 15 of the team’s 18 points in the fourth, draining a trio of triples to help push the Anteaters ahead by three with 12 seconds left to play.

In need of a big-time bucket, Beeman and her staff turned to their big-time player.

Flavell, the leading scorer for the Rainbow Wahine and second consecutive winner of the Big West Freshman of the Year award for the program, stepped to the moment and calmly cashed in a 26-footer from behind the arc to tie the game at 60 with 7.7 seconds remaining, forcing an extra period to decide a winner in the rubber match between UCI and UH.

For the second time in as many days, the Rainbow Wahine defense suffocated an opponent in overtime as UC Irvine only mustered three points in the extra period, taking a 63-62 lead midway through the frame before failing to score again.

Flavell again provided the punch for UH, hitting a tough turnaround jumper over the outstretched arms of UCI’s Lauryn Madsen to put the Rainbow Wahine in front for good with 1:28 to play.

Jovi Lefotu split a pair of free throws to make it a two-point lead for Hawai’i and Flavell sank two from the charity stripe with six seconds left to put the game out of reach and send the fourth-seeded Rainbow Wahine back to the Big West Championship game for the first time since 2023.

UH’s reserves played a major role in the win, outscoring the UC Irvine bench, 31-7. Despite committing double the number of turnovers as the Anteaters, the Rainbow Wahine were only outscored on points off giveaways by two.

Hernandez and Wynn were the lone two UCI players to score in double figures on Friday, seeing Hernandez go for a game-high 33 points while Wynn added 18 along with four assists.

Hawai’i will take on No. 2-seed and Big West regular season co-champion UC San Diego on Saturday at noon HT / 3 p.m. PT in the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Women’s Basketball Championship game with the conference crown and an automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Tournament on the line.

“The bottom line is our glue has been celebrating each other, our glue has been their mental toughness and next play mentality,” Beeman reminded ahead of the conference title game. “That’s not going to change … The message is the same. Go do Hawai’i basketball, go be who you are. If they do that, we’ll be okay.”

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Trio of senior standouts earn all-Big West honors for Hawaii

Trio of senior standouts earn all-Big West honors for Hawaii

Mar 10, 2026

Trio of senior standouts earn all-Big West honors for Hawaii

Hawaii C Isaac Johnson goes up for a dunk during a home game. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HONOLULU – All three steps of the podium.

The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team saw three players honored by the conference on Tuesday as seniors Isaac Johnson, Dre Bullock and Hunter Erickson each were named to the various all-Big West teams after helping lead the Rainbow Warriors to their best conference finish in a decade.

Johnson was named to the all-Big West 1st team after leading Hawai’i in scoring and rebounding at 13.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The 7-foot center drained 31 3-pointers and blocked 30 shots while playing and starting in all 30 games for the Rainbow Warriors in 2026.

He became the first UH player to land on the all-Big West 1st-team since Eddie Stansberry did it for the Rainbow Warriors in 2020 and the eighth UH player to ever make all-Big West 1st team.

“It’s pretty amazing,” a gracious Johnson said of the conference honor. “Coming from a place where I felt undervalued last year, to have the opportunity to come out here and feel the love and feel the support and the belief from my coaches is a night-and-day difference. That accolade is a testament to that … the belief and the love from teammates and coaches and from the people of Hawai’i.”

Hawaii C Isaac Johnson gives an extra stare after a putback dunk in the first half against UC San Diego. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Bullock clicked in right behind Johnson on the all-Big West 2nd-team, averaging 13.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in his lone season in the islands. The 6-foot-6 wing also led the team in steals with 48 and tied for fifth-most steals per game in the conference 1.6 takeaways each night for a Hawai’i defense that was nationally respected all season.

The senior led the team in scoring 10 times, leading to a 9-1 record for the Rainbow Warriors. Bullock tallied five 20-point games in Big West play and provided a critical buzzer-beating 3-pointer at Cal State Fullerton to help UH clinch a top two seed for the conference tournament.

“Very grateful, very happy,” Bullock said of being named to the all-Big West 2nd-team. “Definitely a good experience. I feel like I had probably my best season throughout my whole college career … I feel like my coaches just believed in me since Day 1 [and] my teammates believed in me.”

Hawaii G Dre Bullock elevates for a tomahawk slam during a 68-62 win over Utah Tech. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Erickson nabbed all-Big West honorable mention for his efforts in an ever-changing role for the Rainbow Warriors, starting all 30 games and averaging a team-high 31.5 minutes per night as he shifted from an off-ball role to floor general duties after Tanner Cuff and Aaron Hunkin-Claytor each suffered season-ending injuries.

The 6-foot-3 guard also averaged 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists while racking up 25 steals and hitting a team-high 39 3-pointers, all career highs for the graduate student. He also cemented himself in Rainbow Warrior basketball lore with a fallaway game-winner at the buzzer against UC Irvine back on January 10 and was the passer on Bullock’s game-winner at Fullerton.

Hawai’i (22-8, 14-6) will await the winner of the Cal State Fullerton quarterfinal matchup after securing a double bye as the No. 2 seed. It’s the first time since the Big West started giving the top two seeds an automatic spot into the conference tournament’s final four that the Rainbow Warriors have earned the straight-to-semifinal pass.

UH’s semifinal game is scheduled for Friday, March 13 at 5:30 p.m. HT with the chance to play any of UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara or Cal State Fullerton.

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Hawaii handful nabs bunch of all-conference awards on way out of Big West

Hawaii handful nabs bunch of all-conference awards on way out of Big West

Mar 10, 2026

Hawaii handful nabs bunch of all-conference awards on way out of Big West

Hawaii WBB poses together on Senior Night 2026. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

 

HONOLULU – Greatness on the way out.

The University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team secured seven different conference honors on Tuesday afternoon, seeing a handful of different Rainbow Wahine honored in the program’s final campaign in the Big West Conference.

Bailey Flavell, Ritorya Tamilo, Saniyah Neverson, Imani Perez and Keiara Curtis were the five UH players to receive recognition from the league. Neverson, Perez and Flavell each secured spots on the Big West 2nd-team while Flavell and Curtis each were named to the conference’s all-freshman team.

“Excited for the kids,” head coach Laura Beeman said of the five players honored by the league. “That’s what you always want is for your kids to get recognized, and for as many kids that received awards, I’m definitely proud of this group and the way they’ve started to play well with one another.”

Flavell and Tamilo each received one of the league’s seven specialty awards, seeing Flavell earn Freshman of the Year while last year’s top Big West freshman in Tamilo snagged Sixth Player of the Year for the Rainbow Wahine in her sophomore campaign.

A 5-foot-10 guard from New Zealand, Flavell won the fifth Big West Freshman of the Year award in program history after she led UH in scoring during the regular season with 12.5 points per night and started all 30 contests. She’s on track to be the first freshman since Kamilah Jackson in 2010-11 to lead the Rainbow Wahine in scoring and gives UH back-to-back Freshman of the Year winners for the second time in program history.

G Bailey Flavell after being named to the American Savings Bank Rainbow Wahine Showdown all-Tournament team in late November. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

“We always have known that Bailey has been an unbelievable individual player,” Beeman said of the star guard from New Zealand. “I think it’s been the transition into understanding that she’s more than just a scorer. She’s a tremendous facilitator. She definitely gets on the boards. I think Bailey has a Defensive Player of the Year award in her repertoire one of these days with us. I think she does not recognize what a great defensive player she is.”

Flavell also earned spots on the all-freshman and all-Big West 2nd-team for her debut campaign in the islands.

Tamilo tallied 24 of her 28 appearances for UH from off the bench in 2025-26, blocking 40 shots while averaging 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in only 15 minutes of work per game. It’s the eighth time in program history that Big West Sixth Player of the Year was awarded to a Rainbow Wahine reserve.

“I think it’s a no-brainer,” Beeman said of Tamilo taking Sixth Player of the Year honors. “If Tori wouldn’t have gotten Sixth Player of the Year, I think there would have been something wrong with the Big West and the voting.”

Hawaii sophomore C Ritorya Tamilo goes up for a layup on Senior Night against Cal State Fullerton. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Keiara Curtis joined Flavell on the Big West’s all-freshman squad after averaging 9.4 points per game and handing out a team-best 63 assists. She also tallied 23 steals, good for second-most among Rainbow Wahine, and shot 39% from 3-point range while drilling a team-high 39 triples.

“I think if Bailey wouldn’t have gotten [Freshman of the Year], Curty would have,” Beeman said about the dynamic young guards. “I think that [Flavell and Curtis] are a tag team. They’re each other’s Batman to Robin, right? They feed off of each other, I think their energy is great. I think the one thing you’ve seen with Curty as the season has gone on is her personality is coming out … now you just see how charismatic that young woman is, and it’s contagious.”

Hawaii freshman G Keiara Curtis handles the ball on Senior Night. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Flavell and Curtis are just the second duo of Rainbow Wahine to make a Big West all-freshman team in the same season, joining Daejah Phillips and Kelsie Imai as the lone pairs of UH players to do so.

Imani Perez was named all-Big West 2nd-team and All-Defense for the third consecutive season after leading the conference in blocked shots with a career-high 48 over her 29 appearances in her final year of eligibility. The 6-foot-4 senior helped pilot the Rainbow Wahine to the top defense in the conference and fifth-best defense in the nation, holding opponents to 34.9% shooting while giving up the 19th-lowest point-per-game total in the country at 56.7 across 30 games in 2025-26.

Beeman had hopes that Perez would finally break through and be recognized by the conference as the top defensive player in the Big West after her senior campaign, but the 14th-year head coach made sure to emphasize the forward’s importance to Hawai’i’s success.

“I think from the outside, [Imani] may be a little underappreciated. I also know that there are a lot of teams that when we walk on the court know that their best player is going to see Imani Perez and that makes it very, very difficult for them,” Beeman said of her soft-spoken but loud-impact senior.

Hawaii senior F Imani Perez goes around after Senior Night to greet UH fans. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

“[Imani] knows she’s our defensive player of the year, and she’s been mine for the last four years,” she finished off.

Saniyah Neverson also made all-Big West 2nd-team for the Rainbow Wahine after cementing herself as one of the best newcomers in the entire conference. A 6-foot forward who transferred to UH from Northern Arizona in the offseason, Neverson started all 30 games for Hawai’i and scored 10-plus points in each of the final eight games of the season.

The senior tallied career highs in points, blocks, steals, assists and 3-point shooting in her lone season in the islands. According to Beeman, that hardly scratches the surface of explaining Neverson’s impact.

“I think we hit the jackpot,” Beeman quickly said about the NAU transfer. “I think Saniyah’s not just an amazing young woman off the court, she’s an amazing teammate on the court and I was hoping she would get Newcomer of the Year … We knew that was going to be difficult with our placement in conference, but [Saniyah] has done so much for our play in the post, our guard play … She’s just an unbelievable human being, great player and like I said before we just scored pulling her out of the transfer portal.”

Hawaii senior F Saniyah Neverson goes up for a layup. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

UC Irvine’s Hunter Hernandez was named the Big West Player of the Year while teammate Jada Wynn received Newcomer of the Year honors for the conference. Anteaters head coach Tamara Inoue got Coach of the Year for the second time in her career after helping UCI to a program-record 26 wins.

UC San Diego’s Makayla Rose won her second consecutive Best Defensive Player award and split Co-Best Hustle Player recognition with Cal State Fullerton’s Cristina Jones.

Hawai’i will take on the winner of No. 5 Cal State Fullerton / No. 8 CSUN in the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Women’s Basketball Championship quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12 at 9 a.m. HT. The winner of that game will advance to face top-seeded UC Irvine on Friday at 9 a.m. HT in the semifinal round.

 

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Long Beach State spoils Senior Night in Hawaii behind Sykes’ 34

Long Beach State spoils Senior Night in Hawaii behind Sykes’ 34

Mar 7, 2026

Long Beach State spoils Senior Night in Hawaii behind Sykes’ 34

The 2026 UH men’s basketball senior class (from left to right: Gytis Nemeikša, Isaac Johnson, Hunter Erickson, Harry Rouhliadeff, Dre Bullock, Yacine Toumi.) | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HONOLULU – Stakes through the Hawai’i heart.

With an opportunity to claim a share of the Big West’s regular season crown, the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team faltered in their final home game of the year as Gavin Sykes exploded for a second straight 30-point outing to help Long Beach State ruin the fun on Senior Night in the islands, 84-75.

The freshman guard had a game-best 34 points for the visitors, who shot a sizzling 55% from the field as a team while draining 9-of-18 from long distance. Sykes shot 10-for-17 himself overall while draining 5-of-8 from 3-point range, including three straight triples in the final few minutes to put the game out of reach for the Rainbow Warriors.

“I want to give Long Beach credit,” Hawai’i head coach Eran Ganot said after the game. “We didn’t deserve to win. They outplayed us, they outcompeted us.”

With no postseason to play for, LBSU came out with their own championship mentality as they took a 22-19 lead over the Rainbow Warriors more than midway through the opening half. Hawai’i struggled shooting throughout the first half, making just 1-of-10 from long distance to start before Hunter Erickson tied it at 22 with his second triple of the evening.

Erickson and Ike Finlinson each drained another 3-pointer to keep UH afloat as the first half wound down, but Long Beach State connected on eight of their final nine shots of the stanza to take a 44-34 advantage into the locker rooms.

Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson looked to spark the hosts as the second half began as he dove to the floor for an extra possession, leading to a layup for Finlinson and igniting an 11-3 run that cut the deficit to two for Hawai’i with 13 minutes left in regulation.

After a timeout by Long Beach and the under-12-minute media stoppage, the Rainbow Warriors flashed full court pressure and forced back-to-back steals to push ahead for the first time since the 10:25 mark of the first half as Dre Bullock and Harry Rouhliadeff cashed in four straight free throws.

With the crowd back engaged and chomping at the bit to celebrate Senior Night in style, Harry Rouhliadeff and Isaac Johnson provided a pair of ear-popping moments with an and-one finish and putback dunk for Hawai’i before each picked up their fourth personal fouls with over seven minutes left in regulation.

With two of UH’s senior forwards glued to the bench, Long Beach State took quick advantage to pull back in front with an 8-0 run. Johnson returned and sunk a pair of free throws to make it a 66-62 deficit for the Rainbow Warriors with 4:32 to play, but the hosts could not pull any closer as Gavin Sykes went nuclear to put the dagger in the hearts of Hawai’i and their fans with 14 points over the final three and a half minutes to clinch the 84-75 upset.

Senior guard Hunter Erickson finished with a career-high 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the loss for the Rainbow Warriors, making four 3-pointers in a game for just the second time this season. Isaac Johnson had 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals in 26 minutes of work as he navigated foul woes in the second half.

Ike Finlinson and Dre Bullock also finished in double figures for the hosts, scoring 15 and 14 points respectively. Bullock looked to experience some discomfort late in the game and exited briefly before returning to finish the contest for the Rainbow Warriors.

Following the game, Hawai’i turned attention quickly to celebrate six seniors who helped the program to one of the best year-over-year turnarounds in recent Big West memory in Erickson, Johnson, Bullock, Yacine Toumi, Gytis Nemeikša and captain Harry Rouhliadeff.

“I spoke to the team in the end to let it go right now because your senior night here is as good as it gets,” a weary Eran Ganot said after the game. “I begged [the team], do me a favor [and] let me take this one on. You go enjoy your senior night, nobody does it better.”

Hawaii G Hunter Erickson bends down to get another lei on Senior Night. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Ganot was appreciative of the fans staying to celebrate a senior group that he said was “right up there” with some of the good ones that he’s been able to work with.

Each receiving loud ovations, all six seniors were able to crack smiles as they went through the Senior Night processions in the islands. Rouhliadeff and Johnson were visibly emotional as they were introduced one final time to the Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center crowd.

“It was just awesome,” Johnson said when asked about his emotions during the ceremony. “When you’re in a game, you’re so locked in on what’s going on in the game. I like to get hyped with the crowd and everything like that and look out, but it’s all a blur. To be able to take it in and just realize and be able to see how many people were here supporting us and loving us … to see them reciprocate that love … I feel like you’re not a true man if you can’t show a little emotion and I couldn’t hold it back.”

Rouhliadeff, who was the lone senior to spend all four of his college seasons in Mānoa, was equally expressive in his gratitude for what the University of Hawai’i and the state overall has given him.

“I’ve had the most incredible four years of my life here,” Rouhliadeff emphasized. “I would not change a thing, and these are the best fans in the world. There’s no doubt about that. They know how to cheer for us and it’s such a joy, such a privilege to play in front of these fans every single week.”

Hawaii F Harry Rouhliadeff daps up teammates during Senior Night ceremonies. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i (22-8, 14-6 Big West) was locked into the No. 2 seed for the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Men’s Basketball Championship tournament regardless of Saturday night’s result due to conference tiebreakers and will receive a double-bye and a spot directly into the Big West semifinal round.

No. 6-seeded UC Davis (18-13, 11-9 Big West) will take on No. 7-seeded UC Santa Barbara (18-13, 11-9 Big West) on Wednesday in the first round of the conference tournament. The winner will advance to face third-seeded Cal State Fullerton (17-15, 12-18 Big West) in the quarterfinal round.

No. 2-seeded Hawai’i awaits the winner of the Cal State Fullerton-UCD/UCSB matchup on Friday in the Big West semifinals. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. HT / 8:30 p.m. PT.

“We’ll always keep confidence high in our team,” Rouhliadeff reaffirmed about the Rainbow Warriors heading into the postseason. “We’re going to go in on Friday on a mission because we obviously didn’t want to finish our regular season off like this, so we’re going to come out firing … I have all the faith in the world in our guys.”

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Long distance barrage helps Point Loma hammer Hawaii Pacific in PacWest semifinals

Long distance barrage helps Point Loma hammer Hawaii Pacific in PacWest semifinals

Mar 6, 2026

Long distance barrage helps Point Loma hammer Hawaii Pacific in PacWest semifinals

HPU head coach Jesse Nakanishi pleads his case with an official during a home contest. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Raining threes on the Sharks’ parade.

The No. 4-seeded Hawaii Pacific University men’s basketball team saw their PacWest Tournament title hopes flame out on Friday afternoon, falling to No. 1 Point Loma (24-5) in the conference semifinals, 95-66.

Six different Sea Lions finished in double figures in the win, led by all-PacWest 1st-team selection Jaden Matingou’s 20 points and seven assists. Redshirt junior guard Caden Harris tacked on 17 points for PLNU while all-PacWest 3rd-teamer Andrew Hommes drilled all four of his 3-pointers in a 12-point outing that went along with three rejections.

The top-seeded team in the tournament playing in their home gym, Point Loma matched a season-high in made 3-pointers as they bludgeoned HPU in the semifinal rubber match. The Sea Lions shot better than 53% from the floor as a group while draining 16-of-31 attempts from behind the arc.

A hot start by Hommes helped the hosts out to a 16-7 lead over the Sharks before graduate forward Josh Niusulu powered HPU out of a scoring drought with a pair of strong interior finishes and his lone 3-pointer of the afternoon to make it a 23-17 game with 10:57 left in the first half.

Nemanja Sarenac swished his only triple of the game right after to pull the Sharks within three, but that was the closest that Hawaii Pacific could get as the Sea Lions sizzled off a 31-8 run to go into the break leading by 26.

Point Loma torched the HPU defense, shooting 68% from the field while connecting on 8-of-13 from distance in the first half. The Sea Lions also drilled 12-of-14 attempts from the charity stripe, getting four different rotation players into foul trouble for HPU before the break.

Hawaii Pacific opened the second half with a 6-0 run, but three consecutive turnovers quickly killed the momentum right after as PLNU pushed the margin back over 25 by the under-16 media timeout.

Avi Halpert tried to spur one more rally for HPU, but a pair of Jake Lifgren triples sandwiching Tyce Paulsen’s final 3-pointer of the day pushed the lead over 30 for the Sea Lions and sent the game into garbage time early.

Josh Niusulu led the effort for HPU in the loss, scoring 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting in 22 minutes of action as he dealt with foul trouble throughout the day. Quinton McCullough and Kemp Van Es each added 10 points for the Sharks while Quentin Meza and Joshua West were each held to eight points on a combined 4-for-13 shooting from the floor.

Kahiau Bruhn tacked on seven points, hitting all three shots from the field while grabbing a pair of rebounds in nine minutes off the bench.

Top-seeded Point Loma advances to a fourth consecutive PacWest Tournament championship game to face No. 2 Westmont on Saturday at 12 p.m. HT/2 p.m. PT in San Diego. The Sea Lions are the defending conference champions and have won four of the last five PacWest Tournament crowns.

Hawaii Pacific (18-11) will have to wait until Sunday, March 8 to see what their fate is when it gets revealed during the 2026 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball championship selection show. The Sharks were the No. 7 team in the final West Region ranking before the postseason while Point Loma checked in at No. 3 and Westmont at No. 9 on the same list.

The winner of Point Loma-Westmont will receive the PacWest’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The CCAA and GNAC tournament champions will also each receive an auto-bid to the national tournament with the final five at-large spots going to the top teams in the final regional ranking.

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Hawaii Pacific holds off Vanguard in PacWest quarterfinals

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Mar 5, 2026

Hawaii Pacific holds off Vanguard in PacWest quarterfinals

HPU’s bench cheers on during a home victory. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

 

Who wins when you pit Lions versus Sharks?

The No. 4-seeded Hawaii Pacific University men’s basketball team used a big second half start to down No. 5-seed Vanguard inside Golden Gymnasium on Thursday afternoon, advancing from the PacWest quarterfinals with a 64-59 victory over the Lions.

Senior guard Joshua West turned in his second double-double of the year to power the Sharks to their first postseason victory since 2017, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with five assists, two steals and a pair of blocks in 35 minutes of action.

Senior forward Quinton McCullough followed along with a 15-point, 10-rebound performance of his own, registering his third double-double of the season and first since December 2 in a loss against Chaminade.

A slow start from the floor by HPU allowed the Lions to take a slim one-point advantage as all-PacWest selections Quentin Meza and Joshua West failed to make a field goal over the opening 15 minutes. Helped by a perfect performance at the charity stripe, the Sharks remained within striking distance while the two standout guards figured out the Vanguard defense.

West finished the first half with a bang (and a bank) as he sliced to the rim for a layup to give HPU the lead with 4:16 left before the half and followed it up with an assist to a wide-open Nemanja Sarenac for three and a banked-in 3-pointer himself to send the Sharks into the break in front, 31-29.

McCullough and West took turns scoring for HPU when play resumed, helping the No. 4 seed maintain a three-point advantage after five minutes of second half action. The Sharks shot the lead to 10 as Quentin Meza got in on the fun with his first 3-pointer of the afternoon before Maj Dusanic followed it up with an and-one to put HPU ahead double figures in a game that previously hadn’t seen either side lead by more than three.

The Sharks maintained a 10-point advantage until the PacWest’s leading scorer Erik Howlin took over for the Lions and scored seven straight points to make it a 55-52 game with 5:22 remaining.

After a timeout to slow the momentum of the Lions, HPU got a much-needed shot in the arm with Meza’s second 3-pointer of the day and a wild finish by West to go back up by seven with four minutes to play.

West’s bucket would be the final field goal for Hawaii Pacific over the final four minutes. McCullough and West drilled all four free throw attempts late to ice the win despite a late push from Howlin and the Lions.

Howlin finished as the lone scorer in double figures for Vanguard, dropping a game-high 26 points in the loss as he went 11-for-11 at the free throw line. Bryson Metz and Sammy Howlin each added nine points for the Lions, who shot under 32% from the field after halftime.

Hawaii Pacific won the battle on the glass, 35-29, while forcing 10 turnovers and giving the ball away 13 times. The Sharks were a perfect 15-for-15 at the charity stripe in the win, the first time this season they’ve gone an entire game without a single missed free throw.

Hawaii Pacific advances to Friday’s PacWest semifinal round, facing off against tournament host and top-seeded Point Loma at 12:45 p.m. HT/2:45 pm. PT. The Sharks and Sea Lions split their two regular season meetings, each winning on the other’s home floor in February.

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