Box Score
HONOLULU, HI – BYU-Hawaii shot 54 percent from the field, and the Seasiders bench scored all but 10 of the team’s points in a 75-72 victory over Harding on Tuesday at the Hoop ‘N Surf Classic.
Harding (6-5) had the dominant offense early in the game. The Bisons shot 56 percent in the first half, led by as many as 13 points, and took a 45-37 lead into halftime.
BYU-Hawaii (7-2) trailed 58-48 with 12:39 left in the game, but went on an 11-1 scoring run over the next five minutes to tie the game at 59-all on a Jermaine Odjegba dunk with 7:46 left.
The game was tied four times over the next six minutes, the last time at 72-all with 1:13 left when Brian Howard completed a three-point play with a free throw.
Both teams missed shots on their next possessions before Howard fouled BYU-Hawaii’s Jeremy Brown with 34 seconds remaining. Brown made the second of two free throws to put the Seasiders ahead 73-72. Harding could not connect on a pair of shots on its next trip and was forced to foul. Eric Boyce made both free throws with six seconds remaining. Harding’s Brandon Sims got off a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer, but it missed.
The loss for Harding was its fourth straight. BYU-Hawaii, ranked 19th nationally, snapped a two-game skid.
Junior forward Matt Hall battled foul trouble the entire game and still scored 27 points on 7-of-13 shooting before fouling out. He also made 12-of-14 free throws. Sims was the only other Bison in double figures with 10 points. Hall was not the only Bison in foul trouble. Guard Reggie Bibb and forward Brian Howard also fouled out.
Odjegba was one of three Seasiders to come off the bench to score 10 or more points. Odjegba hit 9-of-11 shots and scored 21 points. Lucas Alves had 15 and Danny Jackson scored 10. Two BYU-Hawaii starters did not score, including Wu Tai-hao who fouled out in only six minutes on the court. Tai-hao entered the game as the Seasiders’ leading rebounder.
Harding will play its final game at the Hoop ‘N Surf Classic on Wednesday against Hawaii Pacific. The Sea Warriors were 84-75 winners over Gulf South Conference school Arkansas-Monticello on Tuesday.
