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UC Irvine
1/10/2026 | 7:00 P.M. HT
Spectrum Sports
ESPN Honolulu
Jan. 10 (Sat) / 7:00 P.M. HT
UC Irvine
LA JOLLA, Calif. – The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team saw its seven-game win streak come to an end with an 83-73 loss to UC San Diego at LionTree Arena. The Rainbow Warriors dropped to 11-3 overall and 3-1 in the Big West with its first conference setback of the year.
Two days after posting a 43-point win at UC Riverside in which everything was clicking, the ‘Bows saw the tables turned. The Tritons used a 17-0 run bridging the first and second halves to break open a close opening 18 minutes and take firm control of the game. UCSD (12-3, 2-1) continued its recent mastery of UH. After winning the first six all-time meetings between the squad, the ‘Bows have now dropped four of its last five against the Tritons.
Five different Tritons finished in double-digits led by Alex Chaikin’s 21 points off the bench. Former Rainbow Warrior Tom Beattie tallied 12 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Harry Rouhliadeff led UH with 16 points, while Dre Bullock added 15.
The Triton’s 83 points tied the most by a UH opponent this season and was 22 points more than what UH came into the game allowing. The ‘Bows also were out-rebounded (33-29) for just the second time this year and the first time since its season-opener at Oregon.
The first half was a tight, back-and-forth affair for the first 18 minutes with seven ties and seven lead changes. Neither team led by more than three points and UH held a 29-26 advantage after a Gytis Nemeikša jumper with 3:15 left. But that’s when the tide turned as the Tritons ended the half with 10 unanswered points, including back-to-back three-pointers after starting the game 0-of-7 from behind the arc. The Tritons took a 36-29 lead into the locker room and committed just two turnovers in the first half and snagged eight offensive rebounds.
Things didn’t get better for UH in the second half. The Tritons scored the first seven points of the second half to push their lead to double-digits and back-to-back three-pointers by Beattie put UCSD up 46-31 just four minutes into the half.
Rouhliadeff finally ended the bleeding with a bucket at the 16:24 mark that concluded a near seven-minute scoring drought for the ‘Bows. But the Tritons would maintain control the rest of the way, building its lead to as many as 18 points. UCSD shot a sizzling 57 percent, including 6-of-14 on three-pointers to prevent any comeback hopes for the ‘Bows.
The Rainbow Warriors now return home for another big matchup, this time against rival and league-leading UC Irvine (11-5, 4-0) on Saturday, January 10. Tipoff is 7:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. HT at Bankoh Arena.
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