HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Concordia University Irvine men's basketball team claimed its first win of 2023 on Tuesday to start off its three-game road trip in Hawaii in style.

Lance Coleman II dropped 29 points, Bryce Fitzgerald added 17 points and Alpha Okoli was clutch at the free throw line to help CUI secure its second straight victory in conference play.

The Golden Eagles attacked the rim consistently for high-percentage shots to complement their outside shooting. Coleman sank half of his three-point attempts (6-for-12) and added six rebounds.

A seesaw battle early in the second half swung in favor of the Golden Eagles after Jackson Tucker hit a key trey. A little over a minute later, Coleman II nailed a three to give CUI a 59-57 lead that it would not relinquish. The Golden Eagles never trailed after that.

A steal and layup by Jonah Tolmaire helped push CUI's lead to 66-59 with just over three minutes left in regulation.

Fitzgerald and Okoli combined for 14 free throws and 15 rebounds. Okoli was a perfect 7-for-7 at the line and converted six freebies down the stretch that would be big.  He finished with 11 points.

CUI improved to 3-4 in PacWest action and will look to continue making progress later this week. Next up is a date with Chaminade on Thursday night.

CLICK HERE for the updated CUI men's basketball schedule