| No. 3 seed Hawai'i 75, No. 7 seed CSUN 58 |
Box score | UH presser | CSUN presser
Gallery: (3-14-2024) 2024 MBB Quarterfinals: UH vs CSUN
HENDERSON, Nev. – In an intense quarterfinal matchup at The Dollar Loan Center, No. 3 seed Hawai'i clashed with No. 7 seed CSUN, with Hawai’i ultimately emerging victorious, by a final score of 75-68, in the second round of the 2024 Hercules Tires Big West Men's Basketball Championship.
With the win, UH improves to 20-13 on the year, while CSUN closes out the campaign at 19-15. Hawai’i moves on in the bracket to take on No. 2 UC Davis on Friday at 8:30 p.m., scheduled to air nationally on ESPN2.
The game started with both teams trading baskets, but Hawai'i managed to gain a slight edge and held a 36-30 lead at halftime. However, CSUN came out strong in the second half, mounting a comeback to tie the game several times.
The Matadors opened the contest on a tear, jumping out to the early 10-3 lead after a Deonte Bostick jumper five minutes into the game. However, UH was able to rally to get a seven-point lead of their own after Justin McKoy’s bucket made the score 33-26 with 1:12 to play in the half.
UH was able to grow the lead to double digits when Juan Munoz’ triple with 14:05 to play went through the net. CSUN fought to cut the margin to a one-possession game on multiple occasions in the period. With just 2:35 to play, the score was 68-66 after a pass from Gianni Hunt found Bostick for the fast break bucket.
The ‘Bows were able to close out the game with a 7-2 run to advance to The Big West semifinal round for the fourth time in program history (2015, ‘16, ‘22).
Hawai’i was paced by four double-figure scorers, including a team-best 16 for McKoy and a 14-point outing for Bernardo Da Silva. The Matadors were paced by 22 points from De’Sean Allen-Eikens while Keonte Jones contribued a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Hawai’i and semifinal foe UC Davis split their regular-season series, each winning by double figures on their home floor. The only other time the ‘Bows and Aggies have faced off in The Big West Championship came in 2015, a 65-58 semifinal victory for the fifth-seeded UH over the top-seeded UCD squad.
| No. 4 seed Long Beach State 86, No. 5 seed UC Riverside 67 |
Box score | LBSU presser | UCR presser
Gallery: (3-14-2024) 2024 MBB Quarterfinals: LBSU vs UCR
HENDERSON, Nev. – No. 4 seed Long Beach State secured an 86-76 victory over the No. 5 seed UC Riverside in the second round of the 2024 Hercules Tires Big West Men’s Basketball Championship from The Dollar Loan Center.
The highlight of the night was undoubtedly the historic triple-double performance by Aboubacar Traore of Long Beach State, who set a new Big West championship record. Traore showcased his versatility and impact on the game, contributing 12 points, 11 rebounds, and a remarkable 13 assists. The assists tally constitutes a new career high for the junior from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and ties The Big West Championship benchmark. The rare triple-double is just the 27th in the country in NCAA Division I men’s basketball this season.
The game was tightly contested from the beginning, with both teams exchanging baskets and momentum swings. Long Beach State held a narrow 44-42 lead at halftime, but UC Riverside remained competitive throughout the game.
Long Beach State's offense came alive in the second half, shooting an impressive 61.5 percent from the field. Sophomore AJ George led the scoring for the Beach with 21 points in 28 minutes, while Traore's exceptional passing fueled the team's offensive rhythm.
Despite UC Riverside's efforts, they struggled to find their shooting touch, particularly from beyond the arc, where they shot just 25 percent from distance including a 2-of-15 clip in the second half. Junior Vladimer Salaridze led UC Riverside in scoring with 17 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome LBSU's offensive firepower. The Highlanders pulled into the lead with 13:51 to go with Kaleb Smith’s layup made the score 54-53, but a 10-2 run for the Beach capped by a George jumper gave LBSU the advantage, which they would never relinquish.
Along with the fiery shooting effort, the Beach also won the battle of the boards, 44-33, and finished with 22 assists on 30 made baskets.
With the victory, Long Beach State runs their record to 19-14 on the season and advances to take on top-seeded regular-season champion UC Irvine on Friday at 6 p.m.
The Beach dropped both contests to the Anteaters by double-figure deficits, but look to build upon the second-round momentum to take down their Black-Blue rival. The contest will be televised live on ESPN+ and in tape delay fashion on ESPNU following the second semifinal game between No. 2 seed UC Davis and third-seeded Hawai’i.