The final games of the 2022 Maui Jim Maui Invitational basketball tournament take place today at the Lahaina Civic Center in West Maui.
The championship game between Arizona and Creighton begins at 12. p.m. HST, and will be televised on ESPN. The battle for third place between San Diego State and Arkansas tips off at 5 p.m. HST, and will be aired on ESPN2. Both games will be carried live on KMVI AM 900/102.5 FM (Maui) with Barry Helle, Jordan Helle and Donald Mahoe.
Arizona defeats San Diego State 87-70
Courtney Ramey scored 21 points going 5-5 from three-point range, Kerr Kriisa added 21 points as No.14 Arizona defeated No. 17 San Diego State 87-70 on Tuesday in a semifinal of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.
“Coming off a 101-point showing on Monday night against Cincinnati, Arizona stayed hot, shooting 59% from the field and dictating the game flow against the Aztecs,” according to a tournament update. “San Diego State was able to chip away at the Wildcats’ 16-point advantage, with an 18-6 run in the closing minutes to cut the lead to four at halftime (37-33).”
The Aztecs came back strong after the half to take their first lead of the game on a Keyshad Johnson transition dunk. Arizona answered with a Kriisa three-point shot and never trailed again. Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis knocked in 14 points and seven rebounds, while Oumar Ballo had 12 points and nine rebounds.
San Diego State (4-1) was led by Darri Trammell, who had 21 points and three steals.
Arizona faces No. 10 Creighton in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational championship on Wednesday, Nov. 24 on ESPN at 12 p.m. HST/5 p.m. EST.
San Diego State will play Arkansas for third place in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational on Wednesday, Nov. 24 on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. HST/10 p.m. EST.
Creighton Sneaks Past Arkansas with 90-87 Victory
In a matchup of Top 10 teams, the Creighton Bluejays (6-0) edged out the Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1) 90-87 in a highly competitive meeting in the semifinals of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.
The game featured stand-out offensive performances from Bluejays’ Ryan Nembhard (25 points), Ryan Kalkbrenner (21 points), and Baylor Scheierman (20 points). Nembhard and Scheierman both hit three three-pointers. As a team, Creighton shot 58% from the field, taking advantage of far fewer FG attempts than the Razorbacks, according to a tournament update.
On the Arkansas side, offensive outbursts from Anthony Black (26 points), Ricky Council IV (24 points), and Trevon Brazile (17 points) kept the Razorbacks in the thick of it until the final whistle. Arkansas’ defense played the Bluejays tough, creating 21 points off turnovers compared to Creighton’s three.
Creighton led by six points at the half, which was just enough to hold off an Arkansas offense that outscored them 53 to 50 in the second half.
Creighton plays Arizona in the Championship game on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 12 p.m. HST.
Maui Jim Maui Invitational Unveils 2023 Tournament Field
The Maui Jim Maui Invitational announced the 2023 field for the 40th annual Tournament. Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA and Chaminade will meet Nov. 20-22, 2023, at the Lahaina Civic Center on Maui.
“The Maui Jim Maui Invitational strives to bring the best college basketball teams and talent to the island of Maui and set the precedent for the rest of the season,” said Tournament Chairman Dave Odom in a press release announcement. “The 2023 field very well may be the best one, at least on paper, that we’ve ever had. We could not be more excited to return to our home at the Lahaina Civic Center and show these teams the magic of Maui.”
Teams that have participated in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational throughout the event’s history own 70 of the 82 NCAA championships, and seven of those schools have gone on to win the national championship after competing in Maui earlier in the season.
“We are thrilled to announce the 2023 Maui Jim Maui Invitational field”, said Tom Valdiserri, Executive Vice President of KemperLesnik, the operator of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. “These programs represent the best of college basketball, including the reigning national champions, and we look forward to hosting this historic field in Maui.”
The impressive collection of programs boasts a combined 253 NCAA Tournament appearances, 44 Final Four berths, 17 NCAA Tournament Championship Titles, and three AP Coach of the Year award winners – Jim Boeheim (2010), Mark Few (2017) and Bill Self (2009, 2016). Seven of the 2023 participants are ranked in the top 46 all-time winningest schools, including Kansas, Syracuse, UCLA, Purdue, Gonzaga, Tennessee and Marquette.
Four of the eight programs are returning Maui Jim Maui Invitational champions, most recently Gonzaga in 2018 and Kansas in 2019.
For more information on the Tournament, visit mauiinvitational.com.
