HONOLULU, HI – A late offensive surge led by freshman guard Gavin Sykes propelled Long Beach State to an 84-75 victory over Hawaii on Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center, dashing the Rainbow Warriors’ hopes of a share of the Big West Conference regular-season title. The Beach closed out their season with a win, while Hawaii will enter next week’s conference tournament as the second seed.
Sykes, who recently returned from an ailment that sidelined him for a previous game, finished with a game-high 34 points, shooting 10-for-17 from the field and 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. His performance proved crucial in the final minutes, as he scored nine consecutive points – including three consecutive three-pointers – to extend a narrow lead and secure the win for Long Beach State.
The victory marked Long Beach State’s first win in Honolulu since 2022, and only their eighth road win against Hawaii in program history. It also provided a positive ending to a challenging season for the Beach, who finished with a 10-21 overall record and a 6-14 mark in conference play. Hawaii concluded the regular season with a 22-8 overall record and a 14-6 record in the Big West.
“For us, tonight was a championship game,” said Long Beach State coach Chris Acker, a former assistant coach at Hawaii. “I told these guys before the game, we’re building a legacy at Long Beach State. These guys are a part of that legacy. And how do you want to be remembered? At the end of the day, people in Long Beach will be talking about this win for a long time. We came in here and did something nobody thought we could acquire done. Hawaii is obviously an unbelievable team and a formidable championship program. And I’m glad our guys were able to get a win to end our season.”
Hawaii started strong, taking an early 14-9 lead, but Long Beach State quickly responded. A three-pointer from Sykes gave the Beach their first lead, and a subsequent 10-0 run, fueled by baskets from Shaquil Bender and Isaiah Lewis, pushed Long Beach State ahead 32-22 with four minutes remaining in the first half. The Beach shot 53% from the field in the first half and took a 44-34 lead into the break.
The second half saw a determined rally from the Rainbow Warriors. Hawaii employed a full-court press that forced six Long Beach State turnovers in a span of just over four minutes, allowing them to erase a double-digit deficit and take a 58-55 lead with 11:03 left to play. However, Long Beach State answered with a three-point play from Lewis, regaining the lead at 65-60.
With the score tied at 60, Peter Majstorovic hit a crucial jumper over Hawaii point guard Hunter Erickson. Then came Sykes’ decisive run. His three consecutive three-pointers in a little over a minute effectively sealed the victory for the Beach.
“We’ve been in those situations before,” Sykes said. “I told the guys before they started pressing, we need to get through it and we’ll win this game.”
Shaquil Bender added 20 points and six rebounds for Long Beach State, while Petar Majstorovic contributed 11 points and nine rebounds. For Hawaii, Hunter Erickson led the way with 23 points, breaking out of a recent scoring slump. Isaac Johnson added 16 points, eight rebounds, and three steals, while Isaac Finlinson and Dre Bullock each scored 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Despite Erickson’s strong performance, the Rainbow Warriors struggled from three-point range, shooting just 2-for-21 from beyond the arc outside of Erickson’s 4-for-5 performance. This shooting inefficiency proved costly in a game where Long Beach State consistently found its rhythm from the perimeter.
Hawaii’s loss, combined with UC Irvine’s win over UC Davis, meant the Anteaters clinched the top seed in next week’s Big West Tournament in Henderson, Nevada. The Rainbow Warriors will enter the tournament as the second seed, receiving a double-bye into the semifinals.
“We didn’t get it done to lock up that tie for first place,” Erickson said. “We got the job done to secure that second seed and get to the semifinals. It is what it is. We’re looking forward to our bigger goal of winning the conference tournament and getting into the NCAA Tournament. That’s our goal. That’s what I came here to do, and I believe we can do that.”
Prior to the game, Hawaii honored its six seniors: Erickson, Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson, Harry Rouhliadeff, Dre Bullock, Gytis Nemeiksa, and Yacine Toumi. Johnson, in a fitting tribute, performed his signature arm-chomping motion and flashed a shaka sign as he was introduced.
Long Beach State will now focus on the offseason, looking to build on the momentum of this road victory and the impressive freshman season of Gavin Sykes, who averaged over 19 points per game. Sykes finished the season with 542 total points, setting a new freshman scoring record for the program. Long Beach State Athletics provided additional details on Sykes’ season.
Hawaii will turn its attention to the Big West Tournament, where they will aim to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The tournament begins next week in Henderson, Nevada. The Orange County Register reported on the tournament implications.
