HONOLULU — Gavin Sykes capped his freshman season with one last offensive barrage and led the Long Beach State basketball team to an 84-75 victory over Hawaii in the regular-season finale for both teams on Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
With four minutes left, Sykes buried three consecutive 3-point shots to extend a four-point lead to 13, part of his 34-point effort that helped LBSU close its season on a high note and spoiled Hawaii’s hopes for a share of the Big West Conference regular-season title.
Sykes shot 10 for 17 from the field (5 for 8 from 3-point range) and 9 for 14 from the free-throw line as Long Beach (10-21 overall, 6-14 Big West) handed the Rainbow Warriors (22-8, 14-6) a rare home loss. Shaquil Bender added 20 points and six rebounds and Petar Majstorovic finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Hawaii, which would have shared the Big West crown with UC Irvine with a win, instead finished alone in second place with just its third loss in 19 home games this season. The Warriors had already clinched a double-bye into the semifinals of next week’s eight-team conference tournament in Henderson, Nevada.
Hunter Erickson scored 23 points to lead four Hawaii players in double-digits. Fellow senior Isaac Johnson had 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while Isaac Finlinson added 15 points and Dre Bullock scored 14.
Hawai started strong, taking a 14-9 lead over the first eight minutes, but LBSU stayed the course behind a balanced offense. A Sykes 3-pointer gave the visitors their first lead, and two more from Bender and Isaiah Lewis fueled a 10-0 run for a 32-22 advantage with four minutes left in the first half. Long Beach, which shot 53% in the first half, made eight of its final nine shots and held a 44-34 lead at halftime.
Hawaii made a push when LBSU had a stretch with six turnovers in four minutes. That helped the Warriors erase the lead with a 14-2 run, and they eventually took a 59-55 lead on a Harry Rouhliadeff three-point play with 11 minutes remaining.
Long Beach regained the lead behind an 11-2 run and went ahead 65-60 on a three-point play from Lewis with 7:23 left, but Hawaii remained within striking distance and trailed just 68-64 after a runner from Finlinson with just over four minutes left.
That’s when Sykes took over. With the Long Beach defense holding tough, the Big West’s second-leading scorer drained shots from behind the arc on three straight possessions for a 77-64 lead with 2:19 left. LBSU closed out the win from there, the program’s first win in Honolulu since 2022.
Sykes finished the season with 542 points to shatter the LBSU freshman scoring record in just 28 games played, averaging 19.4 ppg for the season, a mark that will likely rank in the Top 10 nationally among freshmen.
Long Beach, which did not qualify for the conference tournament, shot 55% overall and 9 for 18 from long range while outrebounding the Warriors 38-27. Hawaii shot 42% overall and just 6 for 26 from 3-point range.
FINAL BIG WEST STANDINGS
Through Saturday, March 7
Team – Overall, Big West
UC Irvine – 22-10, 15-5
Hawaii – 22-8, 14-6
UC San Diego – 22-10, 12-8
Cal State Northridge – 19-13, 12-8
Cal State Fullerton – 17-15, 12-8
UC Santa Barbara – 18-13, 11-9
UC Davis – 18-13, 11-9
Cal Poly (SLO) – 14-18, 10-10
Long Beach State – 10-22, 6-14
UC Riverside – 10-22, 5-15
Cal State Bakersfield – 8-24, 2-18
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