Box Score
HONOLULU -- In the championship game of the 39th Outrigger Hotel Rainbow Classic, the University of Hawai`i Rainbow Warriors (7-1) came back from as much as a 21-point deficit to defeat the Butler Bulldogs (10-1) 81-78 in an overtime thriller Monday night. A vocal crowd of 7,925 were in attendance at the Stan Sheriff Center.
UH won its second straight Rainbow Classic title and its eighth Classic championship ever. The Rainbow Warriors took their first back-to-back titles in the Classic since 1970 and 1971.
Michael Kuebler led Hawai`i with a career-high 29 points while going 9-for-12 from the field and 10-for-11 from the free-throw line. Carl English came back from early foul trouble to pour in 21 points while Haim Shimonovich added a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The game started out tight as UH was just two points back at 12-10 before the Bulldogs barraged Hawai`i with five Bruce Horan threes in a 23-2 run that gave Butler their biggest lead at 35-14. UH battled back to end the half with a 10-0 run to cut the lead to 37-26 at the break.
Hawai`i would pull close at numerous points in the second half, but the Bulldogs, who shot 12-for-24 from beyond the three-point line, continued to respond with big threes, getting their lead back up to 15 points with just over four minutes left in the game. Then English and Kuebler took over, combining for 15 points in a 17-2 run that tied the game with 1:12 left. UH missed their chance for the game-winner with 40 seconds left setting up one last shot for the Bulldogs. Point guard Brandon Miller drove the lane and got the ball to Joel Cornette under the basket, but Shimonovich got up to block the shot, sending the game into overtime.
In the extra period, UH built up a quick five-point lead on a driving banker by Jason Carter. But the never-say-die Bulldogs responded as Avery Sheets three-pointer cut the deficit back to one point at 77-76. Kuebler then stepped up again, hitting four big free throws down the stretch to ice the game at 81-78.
Duane Lightfoot led a balanced Butler attack with 18 points on 9-for-9 shooting. Bruce Horan (15 points, 5-for-7 three-point shooting), Brandon Miller (12 points, 10-for-11 from the free-throw line) and Mike Monserez (12 points, 4-for-5 three-point shooting) also finished in double-figures.
UH will hop on a flight tomorrow morning, heading for El Paso, Texas, for their Jan. 2 WAC opener with the UTEP Miners. Following that game, the Rainbow Warriors will go to Boise, Idaho, for a matchup with the Boise State Broncos.
Patrick Sparks, Western Kentucky
Danny Granger, Bradley
Darnell Archey, Butler
Duane Lightfoot Jr., Butler
Nkeruwem Akpan, Hawai`i
Carl English, Hawai`i (MVP)
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All-Tournament Team
