BYUH stops UH-Hilo for 5th win in row

Advertiser Staff

Alexus Foyle hit a pair of go-ahead free throws with 57 seconds left, and Austin Smylie scored 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as 13th-ranked Brigham Young-Hawai'i edged Hawai'i-Hilo, 83-78, in a Pacific West Conference game last night at Hilo's Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.

PacWest leader BYUH won its fifth game in a row and is 14-2 overall and 8-1 in the conference. Second-place UHH is 15-8 and 7-4.

BYUH played without all-conference center Scott Salisbury who suffered a fractured larynx in a Feb. 12 game and will be out for the remainder of the regular season.

In the first half, UH-Hilo took a 23-16 lead behind guard Ryan Abrahams' 13 points, but BYUH rallied for a 26-25 lead. The lead would change three times before Smylie converted a three-point play for a 31-28 BYUH lead. The Seasiders led 37-34 at halftime.

In the second half, the lead changed five times before Abrahams completed a three-point play for a 52-51 UHH lead. The Vulcans led 69-62 with 6:12 remaining, but BYUH went on a 12-5 run to tie the game at 74 with 2:55 left. The lead changed four times before Foyle hit his go-ahead free throws with 57 seconds remaining for a 79-78 BYUH lead. BYUH reserve swingman Matt Winans hit four free throws in the final 19 seconds to preserve the win.

Foyle led BYUH with 21 points, while Abrahams scored a game-high 24 points for Hilo.