The rematch of the 2016 Big West tournament championship game more than lived up to its billing.
A resurgent performance from senior Noah Allen — who made a tying finger-roll layup at the regulation buzzer — and breakout performances up and down the Hawaii roster carried the Rainbow Warriors to a comeback 114-107 overtime win over Long Beach State on Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
In thrilling fashion, UH (7-9, 1-2 Big West) avoided its first 0-3 start to BWC play. By shooting a season-best 60.7 percent, the ’Bows scored their highest total in a conference game and tied the building scoring record before a rabid crowd of 3,834.
“Obviously a special win for a special group that’s going through some struggles,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “A lot of guys contributed. … Today we hung in there, hung in there, and then we had the breakthrough.”
Three players had career highs of 25 points apiece: Allen, freshman Leland Green and sophomore Jack Purchase. Freshman forward Zigmars Raimo scored a season-high 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting.
It was the first time three UH players scored 20-plus since Matt Lojeski, Bobby Nash and Ahmet Gueye did it against San Francisco on Dec. 20, 2006.
It tied UH’s seventh-highest point total in program history. It was their first 100-point game since Jan. 18, 2014, vs. UC Riverside.
The 49ers lost a 13-point second-half lead despite shooting 53.7 percent, including 57.7 percent in that period. Six Beach players scored in double figures, led by Evan Payne’s season-high 27.
It was a defense-optional kind of night.
“I can’t explain it,” said Purchase, who shot 7-for-12 on 3s for all of his field-goal attempts. “Everyone shot the ball at a great percentage. Everything was falling for everyone, pretty much.”
“We knew we had a shot, we just had to stick with it. … That was great. I loved that. That was the funnest college game I’ve ever been a part of.”
The ’Bows scored on 14 straight second-half possessions to cut a 13-point deficit to four. Allen hit his only 3 of the game to cut it to 81-79 and Brocke Stepteau brought UH within a point on two free throws two possessions later.
UH finished with 22 assists against 11 turnovers to retain LBSU’s number; the Rainbows knocked the 49ers out of the last two Big West tournaments.
Sheriff Drammeh tied it up at 89 on two free throws with 22.8 seconds left. After a timeout, Justin Bibbins drained clock until about five seconds remained and drove left into the lane. Drammeh was called for a foul with 3.1 seconds left and Bibbins made both for a two-point lead.
UH called timeout to set up a play. Gibson Johnson threw the inbounds pass to Allen near midcourt. Allen drove the right side of the lane and finger-rolled it off the glass just before the backboard light went red.
Ganot credited associate coach Adam Jacobsen with the play.
“That was big-time,” Ganot said.
Allen, who’d seen his minutes dwindle along with his confidence over the previous five games — over which he scored a combined 13 points — shot 10-for-16 for his fourth 20-point game of the season, but first since Nov. 22 against UH Hilo.
“I knew when the play was drawn up I’d have enough time to get to the rim,” Allen said.
“It felt good because I’ve been struggling,” he said of the breakthrough night. “I knew it was going to happen; it’s part of basketball. I’m thankful for the coaches and teammates giving me the chance.”
The ’Bows kept it going in OT. Green collected the tip and converted a three-point play, fouling out Bibbins in the process.
“I knew as soon as I got the ball, I knew I had Justin Bibbins right there,” said Green, who more than doubled his previous best of 12. “I just took it right to the rim.”
Purchase followed it up with his seventh 3 for a six-point lead. LBSU never got closer than four the rest of the way; Green converted another impressive three-point play with 56 seconds left in the extra period.
LBSU (6-14, 1-3) dropped to 0-12 in games on an opponent’s home court.
