Hepa’s big game gets Hawaii men’s basketball back on track in win over Cal Poly

Hawaii forward Kamaka Hepa (44) in action against SMU during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday Dec. 25, 2022, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco…

Hawaii forward Kamaka Hepa (44) in action against SMU during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday Dec. 25, 2022, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

by: Christian Shimabuku

Posted: Feb 4, 2023 / 07:27 PM HST

Updated: Feb 9, 2023 / 02:17 PM HST

Behind a game-high 29 points from Kamaka Hepa, the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team rebounded with a 69-56 win at Cal Poly on Saturday.

Hawaii improves to 17-7 overall and 8-4 in Big West conference play, while Cal Poly drops to 7-17 overall and 1-11 in conference games.

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After a disappointing loss to UC Davis on Thursday night, the Rainbow Warriors salvaged the road trip thanks to Hepa’s 14 first-half points. In total, he was an efficient 7-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-6 from the 3-point line and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. He also added six rebounds. His 29 points on Saturday was one shy of his career-high of 30 against Saint Francis (PA) on Dec. 11.

Samuta Avea added 18 points for UH. For Cal Poly, Alimamy Koroma had a team-high 17 points.

Next up for Hawaii is a home game against UC San Diego on Thursday at 7 p.m.