The BYU–Hawaii men’s basketball team used a big second half to beat intrastate rival University of Hawaii-Hilo 100-78. Both teams shot very well, scoring a combined 28 3-pointers.
Seasider Justin Yamzon was red hot throughout the night finishing with a career high 23 points on 8-12 shooting, including 5-6 from the 3-point line.
“Everyone played great tonight. I just happened to have open looks and the shots were falling for me,” said Yamzon, a junior exercise and sports science major from Las Vegas, Nev. Both Ian Harward and Scott Friel recorded double-doubles to help the Seasiders start conference play with a win.
Both teams came out firing as they traded baskets back and forth. Neither team could separate themselves well into the first half as the Seasiders maintained a slight 1-point edge.
Yamzon and substitute BJ Ford started to catch fire from the 3-point line going 8-8 in the first half, 4-4 respectively. After a pair of 3-pointers by Ford and Yamzon, the Seasiders were up by 8. Ford finished the night with a career high 17 points.
“They were all just spot up shots. The guys were doing a great job of driving and dishing it out to me, and I was able to hit the open look,” said Ford, a senior in EXS from Payson, Utah.
Hilo responded with some sharpshooting of its own led by Russell Jordan, who went 3-3 from 3-point line. Hilo would hit 10 three pointers in the first half, along with 59 percent shooting from the field.
Yamzon continued to have the hot-hand hitting his fifth 3-pointer to start the second half for the Seasiders. The Seasiders began to pound it into Harward inside, as he scored a pair of baskets to put the Seasiders up by 10.
“Coach talked to us at half time and said we needed to push the ball inside more and that would make the rest of the floor more open for us,” said senior Harward, a business and supply chain major from Orem, Utah.
Cory Lange hit back-to-back 3-pointers to stop an 8-1 run by Hilo that had cut the Seasiders lead to 4.
Vulcans were charged with a flagrant foul as Lange was fouled hard on a fast break lay-up. After going 1-2 from the free throw line, Harward scored on the proceeding inbounds play.
Friel led a scoring drive to push the Seasiders lead to 11. The Seasiders dominated the final 5 minutes of the game as they continued to build on their lead.
With the Seasiders up 97-78 and the crowd chanting for ice cream, Ford hit his fifth 3-pointer to put the Seasiders at 100 and give the fans their ice cream.
The win not only starts the Seasiders off to a 1-0 conference start, but it gives them a 1-0 start to a three-game home stand were they will face all the Hawaii schools.
Next the Seasiders will play visiting Hawaii Pacific on Dec. 16 and the Chaminade on Dec. 19.