Box Score

DALLAS - In the anticipated match-up between the Western Athletic Conference's leading scorers, Quinton Ross' SMU squad out-dueled the Carl English-led Hawai'i men's basketball team, 78-69, in a regionally televised game on Fox Sports Net, Saturday night, at Moody Coliseum. The Rainbow Warriors dropped its sixth consecutive WAC road game to fall to 13-7, 6-6 in league play.

The loss also snapped UH's four-game win streak over the Mustangs (12-9, 7-4).

English finished with a team-high 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting, and grabbed eight rebounds. The WAC's leading scorer at 20.6 points per game, also converted on 5-of-9 from beyond the 3-point arc. Ross, who entered the game at 20.0 ppg, scored a game-high 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field.

Forward Phil Martin added 15 points and guard Mark Campbell recorded 12 points, eight assists, and five steals. For the first time in 52 consecutive games, junior Haim Shimonovich did not start in the post for UH, giving way to sophomore Nkeruwem Akpan, who had two points in 16 minutes in his first career start.

Trailing 22-15 with 7:25 remaining, the 'Bows held the Mustangs scoreless for nearly four minutes while scoring seven unanswered to take a two-point lead. But Ross came alive scoring the team's final 10 points of the period as the Mustangs built a 30-28 halftime cushion. English scored eight first half points with two 3-pointers.

In the second half, the 'Bows regained the lead (40-37) with English's fourth trey at 15:05. UH maintained its lead for the next 10 minutes, even doubling on a Martin 3-point play with 10:54 left. But the Mustangs went on a 10-2 run over the next three and a half minutes to go ahead 65-60 with 3:09 remaining.

UH closed to two (67-65) on English's fifth trey with 2:19 remaining. After an SMU turnover, the 'Bows had a chance to regain the lead but English missed from 22-feet out. The Mustangs scored the next five points to put the game away.

The 'Bows return home to host San Jose State, Saturday, Feb. 15. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.



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