LONG BEACH, Calif. >> After its worst home loss to a Big West Conference opponent in six seasons, Hawaii earned its first victory in Long Beach in 12 years Thursday night.

But the Rainbow Warriors needed a second-half surge — and a program-record-tying 14 made 3-pointers — to defeat Long Beach State 77-70 in front of 2,177 at the Walter Pyramid.

Until Thursday night, UH (14-8, 5-3) had not defeated the 49ers (8-16, 2-6) on the road since Feb. 17, 2007, when the ’Bows recorded a 93-78 win in a BracketBusters game during Riley Wallace’s final season as head coach. Coincidentally, current head coach Eran Ganot was a member of Wallace’s staff.

This was the first victory here in Big West play. UH shot 14-for-27 on 3s.

“Coming off a tough loss and then having to respond in a place where we haven’t won is a testament to the maturity of our group,” Ganot said in reference to Saturday night’s 75-54 loss to UC Santa Barbara at the Stan Sheriff Center. “This is a tough team we’re playing and they’re really good here. We’ve had some tough games here. We’ve had some close games, but we haven’t gotten over the hump.

“It’s a monkey you get off your back. You can feel it with the seniors, and you can probably bet the alums will be (happy).”

Brocke Stepteau played the pivotal role. Stepteau scored 14 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 23 points — one fewer than his career best — in his first start since Jan. 9.

“He has been a starter whether he comes off the bench or not,” Ganot said. “He was huge for us. He’s always been big for us in big moments. He was right what the doctor ordered after a tough loss. I’m proud of him.”

Stepteau began his offensive contributions with a trio of 3-point baskets in the first half. That early long-range effectiveness worked to his advantage in the second half.

“They played his 3 a little more, so he found ways to get in the paint,” Ganot said. “Overall, he was consistent in both halves with his aggressiveness. He probably has some shots he’d want back with such a great performance.”

The senior from Dallas explained how he exploited Long Beach’s defense.

“My coaches gave me some good pointers on what to look for in the second half,” Stepteau said. “They were telling me my man was going under all my ball screens, so if I was open, to shoot. So I did that a couple of times. They were telling me that when I get in the paint, lean into the contact and get to the line because they were jumping for shot fakes, or just pass it out. That helped me get my mind right in the second half.”

The ’Bows needed Stepteau’s performance to recover from what Ganot called “the worst start to a half of all time.” Long Beach made its first four shots during a 9-0 spree that turned a 41-35 halftime deficit into a 44-41 lead with 2:13 gone in the second half, forcing Ganot to call a timeout.

“Mentally, we were all over the place, losing assignments on defense and turning the ball over on offense,” Stepteau said. “We weren’t playing our brand of basketball. The coaches got on us to just settle down; there’s a lot of time left. We’ve got a lot of veteran guys, so we took that to heart.”

Following the timeout, Jack Purchase hit a 3-pointer to force a 44-44 tie. The 49ers’ Temidayo Yussuf responded with a lay-in to put the hosts ahead 46-44. But Sheriff Drammeh made his own 3-point basket to put UH ahead for good, 47-46.

With the ’Bows holding a 52-51 lead, their defense took control. UH held the 49ers without a field goal in turning that into a 61-53 advantage with 11:31 to play.

“Once we stopped turning the ball over, started settling down and focused on the defensive end, the game slowed down for us,” Stepteau said. “Then we got comfortable.”

UH’s offense also reflected that comfort, as the ’Bows would lead by as many as 10 points.

“We pride ourselves on our passing, so once we slowed the game down, moving the ball got us good shots,” Stepteau said. “That allowed us to get the lead and to hold onto it.”

Purchase went 5-for-8 from 3-point range to finish with 17 points. The Australian forward now needs five more 3-pointers to set the program’s career record. Zigmars Raimo scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and matched his career best with four steals, as the ’Bows extended Long Beach’s losing streak to six games. Yussuf, who missed six games because of swelling in his right knee, led the 49ers with 18 points in his first start since Dec. 29.

“We haven’t won here in a while, so we wanted to do that,” Stepteau said. “It’s a big win for us to get some momentum going into the Irvine game (Saturday), which is another big game.”

Big West

UC Davis 63, Cal Poly 53

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. >> TJ Shorts II scored 18 points with seven assists, Joe Mooney added 17 points and UC Davis (7-14, 3-4) broke away late for a season sweep of the Mustangs (5-16, 1-7).

Donovan Fields led Cal Poly with 17 points, its only player to reach double figures.