Who knows what’s ahead for the new-look Hawaii men’s basketball team, but there are signs that it’s learning how to win.
Who knows what’s ahead for the new-look Hawaii men’s basketball team, but there are signs that it’s learning how to win.
Gibson Johnson powered down low for the go-ahead basket on a layup with 6.3 seconds remaining Tuesday morning, and the Rainbow Warriors beat Florida Atlantic 64-63 to close the Rainbow Classic at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.
The game was nationally televised on ESPN2 as part of the Tip-Off Marathon, and it ended at about 1:15 a.m. when Frank Booker’s contested 3-point attempt fell short at the buzzer.
UCLA transfer Noah Allen shook off a rough shooting night to lead Hawaii (2-1) with scored 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, and Sheriff and Johnson each added 13 points.
If UH was looking for a few easy tuneups before No. 5 North Carolina comes to town Friday, then they got more than they bargained for in all three matchups at the tournament. On Friday night, it was Hawaii who couldn’t convert on a final possession in a 69-68 loss to SIU Edwardsville.
Florida Atlantic (0-3) trailed by as many as nine points early in the second half after the Rainbow Warriors went on a 16-3 run spanning both halves, but the Owls came back and took the lead 63-59 on a jumper by Nick Rutherford with 1:07 remaining that would turn out to be their final points of the early morning.
Johnson, a junior forward who played down the stretch with four fouls, scored the last five points of the game, making a three-point play with 49 seconds left and then grabbing a rebound when Rutherford missed the front end of a one-and-one to set up Hawaii’s final possession.
Ronald Delph led Florida Atlantic with 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting with 12 rebounds and three blocks.
Hawaii got only six points from its bench, all from Ido Flaisher, who grabbed nine rebounds.
SIU Edwardsville and Texas State, which lost to Hawaii on Sunday, also finished 2-1 at the tournament.
Florida Atlantic-Hawaii, Box
FLORIDA ATLANTIC (63)
Cylla 5-14 0-1 12, Ingram 0-2 0-0 0, Delph 10-13 2-2 22, Booker 4-10 0-0 11, Rutherford 3-8 1-3 8, Pfister 1-3 0-0 2, Hill 0-0 0-0 0, Neely 0-1 1-2 1, Filer 2-7 2-2 7, Troutman 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 25-63 6-10 63.HAWAII (64)
Johnson 6-7 1-1 13, Purchase 3-7 0-0 8, Drammeh 4-10 2-2 13, Green 4-10 0-0 9, Allen 6-18 1-2 15, Flaisher 1-4 4-6 6, Stepteau 0-0 0-0 0, Lewis 0-1 0-0 0, Buscher 0-0 0-0 0, Owies 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-59 8-11 64.Florida Atlantic 27 36—63
Hawaii 30 34—64
3-Point Goals—Florida Atlantic 7-21 (Booker 3-7, Cylla 2-7, Filer 1-1, Rutherford 1-2, Troutman 0-4), Hawaii 8-19 (Drammeh 3-4, Allen 2-5, Purchase 2-6, Green 1-3, Lewis 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Florida Atlantic 35 (Delph 12), Hawaii 34 (Allen 11). Assists—Florida Atlantic 11 (Rutherford 4), Hawaii 15 (Allen 4). Total Fouls—Florida Atlantic 16, Hawaii 14. A—5,334 (10,300).