NORTHRIDGE, Calif. >> Junior Madut’s best offensive performance of his collegiate career almost proved insufficient in Hawaii’s attempt to break a two-game losing streak.

The Rainbow Warriors needed Biwali Bayles’ 3-point shot with 21.1 seconds left and Mate Colina’s late block to escape Cal State Northridge with a 75-74 victory in Big West Conference play Friday at Northridge’s Matadome.

“We were fortunate,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “It got late (in the shot) clock and (Bayles) had the presence of mind to get a shot up and stick a big one. He hit a big 3 earlier in the game. He’s continuing to be in a lot of those moments and I think it’s helping him continue to improve.”

Madut scored a career-high 23 points by making eight of 15 shots from the floor, including four of seven from 3-point range. Bayles added 12 points, five rebounds and three assists. James Jean-Marie and Noel Coleman each contributed 11 points, with Jean-Marie grabbing a team-best seven rebounds.

The ’Bows (8-7, 6-7) needed Madut’s production to counteract the conference’s leading scorer, Northridge’s T.J. Starks. The transfer from Texas A&M, who entered the game averaging 19.7 points, achieved his own career best by scoring 31 points.

Making that total more impressive is the fact that Starks did not start. The redshirt junior came into the game 4 minutes, 54 seconds into the first half.

When Starks entered, UH had just completed a 10-0 blitz after conceding the game’s first basket. The ’Bows would forge a 26-12 advantage with 7:34 before halftime, as Jean-Marie scored nine points in that early surge. Despite the slow start, the Matadors (7-9, 3-6) responded with a 22-10 spree that narrowed their halftime deficit to 36-34. Darius Brown II made an 8-foot jumper with 20.6 seconds left in the half to draw the hosts within two.

When the second half began, Madut took control. The junior scored 10 points in the first 4:43 of the half, as UH built a 60-48 lead with 8:53 to play. Then Starks struck.

Starks led Northridge’s rally by scoring 16 points in a span of 5:40. He ended it with a 3-point shot that put the Matadors ahead, 74-72, with 48.8 seconds to play.

But Bayles retaliated by banking a 3-point shot off the glass with 21.1 seconds remaining. Yet the Matadors had three more chances.

On the hosts’ ensuing possession, Starks shot a short-range jumper that Colina blocked with 8.3 seconds left. The ball fell out of bounds, so Northridge retained possession.

Given a second chance, Starks shot a jumper that hit the rim. Brown swooped in to grab the ball but missed his ensuing shot, and Colina secured the rebound as time expired.

“I thought we did an overall good job; We tried to address taking care of the ball and we did great,” Ganot said after UH committed just eight turnovers, only one in the first half. “Unfortunately, the only way that game, the way it was played, could get close late was if we didn’t defend the 3 and we turned it over and we did both. We were fortunate to survive that thanks to Wali’s big shot and a big defensive stand on the last possession.”

Brown finished with 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. The Matadors’ Alex Merkviladze, who played for the under-18 national team for his native Georgia, grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds while scoring nine points. Brendan Harrick, the great-nephew of former UCLA coach Jim Harrick, now a Northridge assistant, added 11 points.

“Winning on the road is important,” Ganot said. “I think these guys have shown they can do that, but it’s going to be a tough task, a tough challenge where you go back to back, quick turnaround against a team that is obviously feeling pretty good about how they finished that game. They have an elite point guard and the leading scorer in our league and we have to respond quickly. There were some things that were exposed that we need to be better at.”

The Star-Advertiser’s Jason Kaneshiro contributed to this report.