The Big West Conference’s top team Long Beach State survived two scares to the Central Coast duo last week, while UC Irvine and Hawaii got back in the hunt. Here’s a look at last week’s basketball action in the Big West.
 
Hawaii learns to adjust
The Rainbow Warriors (13-9, 7-4) endured a rough stretch this month but with three straight wins, they seem to have gotten past it and back into mix at the top of the conference. Hawaii’s two wins against UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton this weekend have put the ‘Bows in third place, two games behind Pacific and three behind Long Beach State.
 
The three wins have come against the bottom half of the Big West Conference but a streak like that is a rarity for a team that relies on its great home-court advantage. According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Hawaii has had such a streak only four other times in conference play, with the last time coming in 2003-2004. 
 
Hawaii has seen significant contributions from freshmen this season, most notably from Isaac Fotu, Manroop Clair and Brandon Jawato, but following two especially rough losses – a home loss to UC Davis and a 29-point drubbing by Cal Poly – head coach Gib Arnold knew he needed his upperclassmen to step in and lead.
 
“You have to understand that when you're dealing with teenagers, there are going to be some up and downs," Arnold told the Star-Advertiser. “But teenagers in general and this team, they're very resilient. So to lose a game by 29, and to turn around and put a string together is doable if you don't panic.”
 
The ‘Bows didn’t panic. Instead, they went to work. Their latest two efforts were led by junior Christian Standhardinger, who averaged 20 points on a 55.5 percent shooting mark over the weekend to earn a Big West Player of the Week award, his first since entering the conference.
 
“Rather than add, you simplify, which is kind of what we did,” Arnold said. “We just tried to make the game a little easier.”
 
The Beach escapes
The target has now been firmly placed on Long Beach State’s back. Coming into the weekend, the defending Big West Champions were in first place and had won seven-straight. UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly visited the Pyramid, and did their best to knock Long Beach off its perch but the 49ers survived both scares, using two tough defensive efforts to remain in first place with a 9-1 record (13-8 overall).

Read the rest of the Big West Roundup here.
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The Big West Roundup is a weekly feature written by Abbey Mastracco for FoxSportsWest.com