FRESNO, Calif. — The player known as "Little Matt" has come up big for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team this week.

Matt Gibson led the Rainbow Warriors with 19 points and nine rebounds in a 54-42 victory over Fresno State Thursday night at the Save Mart Center. It was Hawai'i's first WAC road victory of the season.

"If I see the team struggling on offense, I know I can create some things, make some things happen," said Gibson, a 6-foot-5 junior point guard.

In a game when most of the other 'Bows struggled offensively, Gibson shot 7 of 14 from the field, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range.

"His energy keeps us going," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "He's an energizer."

In Hawai'i's last two games, Gibson has scored 39 points. He scored 20 points off the bench in a home victory over Utah State Monday.

"He's given us offense the last two games and he hasn't been doing that earlier in the season," Wallace said. "That helps a lot."

Gibson did not start Monday for disciplinary reasons, but he was back in the starting lineup Thursday.

"Coach knows how to motivate me, that's for sure," Gibson said. "I have a special relationship with that guy, and if anything, I'm always going to play hard for him and this team."

Gibson scored five points during a 15-0 run at the end of the first half that gave the 'Bows a 27-12 lead at intermission.

He then added 12 points in the second half, including seven during an 11-2 run that gave Hawai'i an insurmountable 46-23 lead with 10:28 remaining.

"As guards, we turned the ball over way too much, but we made big shots down the stretch and played (defense)," Gibson said. "We did the little things to win the game."

Gibson's most impressive statistic may have been his nine rebounds, which tied his career-high.

"A lot of them are not even real rebounds — it's just the ball bouncing around and me going after it," he said. "I'm not afraid to bang heads and go after any loose ball."

Still, Wallace was not satisfied, especially since Hawai'i committed a season-high 23 turnovers. Gibson led the team with five turnovers.

Fifteen turnovers came in the second half when the Bulldogs used a full-court defense to try and rally.

"He was terrible down the stretch," Wallace said of Gibson. "Bad decision-making. Throwing the ball away. Not getting control of the team. I thought it was going to cost us, and in a tight game, it would have."

Still, Gibson's performance came on a night when Hawai'i needed it.

Leading scorer Matt Lojeski played despite flu-like symptoms. He finished with six points — 11 below his average — on 3-of-9 shooting. Second-leading scorer Ahmet Gueye was in foul trouble most of the game, and finished with six points on 3-of-7 shooting.

TARK SIGHTING IN STANDS

Former Fresno State head coach Jerry Tarkanian was in attendance at Thursday's game — as a guest of Riley Wallace.

Tarkanian sat among the 20 or so Hawai'i fans behind the 'Bows' bench. Tarkanian and Wallace have been friends for more than 20 years.

ON THE ROAD TO RENO

The 'Bows are scheduled to depart Fresno for Reno, Nev., Friday morning on a chartered bus.

Hawai'i will play at first-place Nevada — which is ranked No. 15 in The Associated Press Top 25 — Saturday. The game is scheduled to start at 3:05 p.m. (Hawai'i time) and will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.