LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — Dre Bullock scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Hawaii used a blistering first-half defensive performance to build a lead it would never relinquish in an 89-82 victory over Long Beach State in a Big West Conference men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at the Walter Pyramid.

The Warriors, improving to 16-5 overall, held the 49ers to 31 first-half points on 34.3% shooting from the field, including just 3-of-13 from three-point range, to take a 36-31 lead into halftime. That cushion proved vital as Long Beach State mounted several second-half charges, cutting the deficit to single digits on multiple occasions but never getting closer than five points.

The most important part of the game came early in the second half when Hawaii, leading 38-35, unleashed a decisive 12-0 run to seize control. Isaac Finlinson, who finished with 19 points, ignited the surge with a three-pointer. After a Hunter Erickson steal, Finlinson connected on another three. Bullock then hit a jumper before Finlinson capped the run with his third triple in just over two minutes, pushing Hawaii’s lead to 50-35 with 15:11 remaining. The 49ers, who fell to 8-15, would spend the rest of the game fighting uphill.

Long Beach State answered with its own resilience, primarily behind the scoring of Petar Majstorovic and Shaquil Bender, who each finished with 22 points. A Majstorovic layup with 6:52 to play brought the 49ers within 66-60, but Hawaii consistently responded at the free-throw line, where it shot 23 of 29 for the game. Bullock was central to that effort, making 10 of his 12 free throws, including four in the final 28 seconds to seal the outcome.

Hawaii’s offensive efficiency was the story of the box score. The Warriors shot a scalding 58% from the field (29 of 50) and 57.1% from three-point range (8 of 14). They achieved this despite being dominated on the offensive glass, where Long Beach State held a 14-3 advantage, leading to a 19-4 edge in second-chance points. The Warriors offset that by committing only 11 turnovers and maximizing their possessions, scoring 89 points on just 72 trips for an elite offensive rating of 124.0.

Bullock’s performance was a return to form after being held to nine points in Hawaii’s overtime loss at UC Irvine on Thursday. He added four assists in 36 minutes. Erickson provided crucial playmaking for Hawaii with eight assists against just two turnovers to go with 13 points. Isaac Johnson added 14 points for the Warriors.

For Long Beach State, Majstorovic added five rebounds, while Bender’s 22 came on 9-of-21 shooting. Leopold Levillain was a force inside with 10 rebounds and eight points in just 18 minutes. Isaiah Lewis facilitated the offense with nine points and six assists.

The 49ers shot 44.1% overall (30 of 68) but just 30% from beyond the arc (6 of 20). Their offensive rating of 110.1 was solid but could not keep pace with Hawaii’s incendiary shooting night.

A crowd of 1,368 saw the game, which finished well above the projected total. Hawaii now looks ahead to a home contest against UC San Diego on Feb. 7. Long Beach State travels to face UC San Diego on Thursday.