Cal Poly Defeats Hawaii in Lopsided Victory

Mustangs' paint dominance and transition game prove too much for Rainbow Warriors

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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Cal Poly defeated Hawaii 86-75 in a Big West Conference matchup at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu. The Mustangs scored 40 points in the paint, including 18 on Euro-step layups, and outscored Hawaii 22-4 on points off turnovers to secure the victory. Cal Poly's Hamad Mousa led all scorers with 24 points and 9 rebounds, while Cayden Ward added 19 points for the Mustangs.

Why it matters

This loss drops Hawaii into a second-place tie in the Big West standings, as they were previously in a first-place tie with UC Irvine. Cal Poly's victory over a top-tier Big West opponent demonstrates their ability to compete with the conference's elite teams.

The details

Cal Poly came out aggressively, scoring the first 10 points of the game and building a 22-5 lead early in the first half. Hawaii was able to cut the deficit to 35-33 before Cal Poly closed the half on a 9-2 run. The game was tied at 52 with 13:29 remaining, but four Hawaii turnovers led to a 9-0 Cal Poly surge that the Rainbow Warriors could not overcome. The Mustangs' defense was effective in collapsing on Hawaii's drives to the basket, limiting the home team to just 2 assists on 23 made baskets.

  • Cal Poly scored the first 10 points of the game.
  • Hawaii cut the deficit to 35-33 before Cal Poly closed the half on a 9-2 run.
  • The game was tied at 52 with 13:29 remaining, but four Hawaii turnovers led to a 9-0 Cal Poly surge.

The players

Hamad Mousa

A 6-foot-8 transfer from Dayton, Mousa scored 24 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for Cal Poly.

Cayden Ward

Added 19 points for the Mustangs, who were plus-15 when Ward was on the court.

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What they’re saying

“We always say the defense dictates the shots. We really want to be a threat to shoot the 3 to open up the paint. If we can get by teams and get to the rim, we want to do that.”

— Mike DeGeorge, Cal Poly Head Coach

“We came from a long flight, six hours from LA., and this team was just committed. We played together, played hard. They tried to take away our 3s. We kind of drove to the rim and got easy ones.”

— Hamad Mousa

What’s next

Hawaii will look to bounce back when they host UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, where they will also retire former guard Anthony Carter's No. 23 jersey at halftime.

The takeaway

Cal Poly's victory over Hawaii demonstrates the Mustangs' ability to adapt their game plan and exploit an opponent's defensive weaknesses. The loss drops Hawaii into a second-place tie in the Big West standings, underscoring the importance of this conference matchup.