Playing in its first game since a dramatic Diamond Head Classic victory on Christmas Day, the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team opened its Big West Conference slate with a spirited 74-66 win over UC Davis on Thursday evening.
Hawaii improved to 10-3 for the 2022-2023 season while UC Davis dropped to 7-6.
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Although UC Davis started the game on a 7-0 run and multiple ‘Bows fell into foul trouble, Hawaii tamed the Aggies and took a 25-23 lead into halftime behind the play of backup point guard Justus Jackson, who provided a spark off the bench with seven points and relentless defense.
Jackson added on to his offensive output in the second half with a career-high of 12. Diamond Head Classic Most Outstanding Player JoVon McClanahan had a game-high 23 points, all in the second half, while setting a new career-high in the process. Meanwhile, starting center Bernardo Da Silva had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
For UC Davis, Christian Anigwe was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in the first 20 minutes and finished with a team-high 21 points and eight rebounds on 7-for-10 shooting.
The Rainbow Warriors will close out their homestead against Cal Poly on Saturday at 5 p.m.
