SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (Interstat) — The Hawaii Warriors used a disruptive defensive performance and a balanced scoring attack to pull away from the Cal Poly Mustangs for an 86-66 victory in a Big West Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Robert Mott Gymnasium.

Hawaii improved to 13-3 overall and remained near the top of the conference standings, while Cal Poly fell to 7-12.

The game was not decided by a singular, dramatic run but by Hawaii’s persistent and overwhelming defensive pressure, which created a stark disparity in the game’s tempo and opportunity. The Warriors forced 22 Cal Poly turnovers, converting them into 28 points, while committing 15 turnovers of their own. Hawaii’s 13 steals, led by the active hands of Dre Bullock, consistently short-circuited the Mustangs’ offensive sets and fueled transition opportunities.

Offensively, Hawaii was efficient inside the arc, shooting 51.5% on two-point field goals. The Warriors were led by Gytis Nemeiksa, who scored 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting, and Dre Bullock, who added 20 points, four steals and a block. Hunter Erickson contributed 15 points, and 7-foot center Isaac Johnson provided a strong interior presence with 11 points, five rebounds and two blocks in just 20 minutes.

Cal Poly, which stayed within five points for much of the first half, was led by Hamad Mousa’s 17 points and Peter Bandelj’s 11. The Mustangs struggled mightily with their shooting, connecting on just 39.3% from the field and 25% from three-point range. Their offensive rating of 81.4 points per 100 possessions underscored a night of frustration against Hawaii’s swarming defense.

The most critical phase of the game occurred late in the first half, turning a narrow contest into a comfortable Hawaii lead by intermission. With just over seven minutes remaining before halftime and Hawaii leading 28-26, the Warriors clamped down. Over the next four minutes, they held Cal Poly to just two free throws while embarking on a 13-2 surge.

The run was emblematic of Hawaii’s formula. It began with a Bullock steal and layup, included a putback by Nemeiksa, and was capped by another Bullock steal leading to a dunk, pushing the lead to 41-28. Cal Poly managed a three-pointer from Jake Davis to stop the bleeding momentarily, but Hawaii closed the half on a 5-0 spurt, including a jumper from Nemeiksa at the buzzer, to take a 41-36 lead into the locker room.

That closing stretch provided Hawaii a cushion it would only expand in the second half. The Warriors opened the final period with a 9-1 run, highlighted by an Erickson three-pointer and another Bullock dunk, extending the margin to 50-37. Cal Poly never got closer than nine points the rest of the way as Hawaii’s defense continued to generate easy scoring chances, and the Warriors methodically built their lead to as many as 22 points before settling on the 20-point final margin.

Hawaii’s ball movement, resulting in 13 assists, and its ability to score in the paint (46 points) proved too much for a Cal Poly team that was out of rhythm all evening. The Warriors also won the battle at the free-throw line, making 12 of 14 attempts compared to Cal Poly’s 10 of 17.

The announced attendance was 2,612.

Hawaii next travels to face UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. Cal Poly’s next game is at UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 22.