Ending the calendar year with a defensive resolve, the University of Hawaii basketball team grinded out a 57-48 victory Saturday over Cal Poly in SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

By winning their sixth in a row — and fifth in 10 nights — the ’Bows improved to 11-3 overall and 2-0 in the Big West.

“These are hard,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “This is one of the hardest stretches I’ve been a part of, five games in 10 days. (Last week’s) Diamond Head (Classic) play was a battle. League play is a battle. Our guys gutted it out at the end. They made their free throws at the end. They made big plays at the end.”

The ’Bows scored the first 16 points of the game as the Mustangs turned the ball over five times and misfired on 11 shots in the first nine minutes. But that lead was written in chalk.

“We just didn’t make our layups,” Cal Poly coach John Smith said of the early deficit. “We had good looks in the beginning. When that happens, tensions start to mount up, and guys get a little tense. So we called a timeout (after falling behind 8-0) to try to get them to relax. I kind of joked: ‘they’re not going to hold us scoreless the whole game. I want you to know that. You know that.’ Just trying to get them to relax.”

The Mustangs eventually found their inside game (36 paint points) while denying the ’Bows’ outside attack (1-for-11 on 3s).

Cal Poly closed to 52-48 on Kobe Sanders’ slam with 2:13 to play.

Then the ’Bows’ defense tightened, and the Mustangs would not hit another field goal the rest of the way. Twice they tried to force the ball inside only to be denied by 6-foot-9 post Bernardo da Silva, who picked up a loose ball for a steal and partially deflected a gimme shot.

The ’Bows scored their final five points on free throws.

“We got it to four, and turned the ball over there,” Smith said. “We’ve got to do a better job — I’ve got to do a better job — of putting guys in position where that doesn’t happen. We’ll be better.”

The ’Bows were held to 16-for-43 shooting, and just one 3 after averaging 7.6 made treys in the first 12 games. “Eventually, we’ll break through with our offensive consistency,” Ganot said.

Point guard JoVon McClanahan added: “We always hang our hats defensively. We know we have to guard.”

The ’Bows’ plan was to slow Sanders, a 6-foot-8 guard, who often tried to post up the 5-10 McClanahan.

“I’ve been playing against height my whole life,” McClanahan said. “I’m not really trippin’ if he’s 6-8 or 6-9 or close to my height. I never shy away from a matchup.”

Sanders, who was in foul trouble most of the game, was held to six points on 3-for-9 shooting and had one assist against two turnovers.

“It’s a tough matchup for JoVon because (Sanders has) a lot of size on him,” said UH associate head coach John Montgomery, who coordinates the defense. “JoVon has the heart of a lion and champion. We kind of knew he was going to disrupt (Sanders) with his speed and quickness. He was going to fight him. … I thought it was a good matchup because because of JoVon’s character.”

Alimamy Koroma, Cal Poly’s 6-8 post, scored six of his 10 points in the final 15 minutes. But he missed his only free throw, and had to battle for shots against da Silva and 7-foot-1 Mor Seck. UH’s counter attack was for the centers to stay in the low post while the guards dropped down to take swipes when Koroma was going through his pre-shot pivots.

“We’ve got to play through Ali Koroma as much as possible,” Smith said. “He’s got to take his time, slow down … and give us what he did tonight. He works his tail off down there. I wish he could get to the free-throw line a little more.”

Gamebook Cal Poly at Hawaii… by Honolulu Star-Advertiser