Box Score
HONOLULU - The Hawai`i men's basketball team wrapped up non-conference play with a 58-55 loss to Penn, Thursday night, at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Warriors dropped to 7-4 on the season and suffered their second home loss in a week.
In the midst of a seven-game homestand, the 'Bows shot 37.5 percent in the second half. Free throw shooting proved costly once again as Hawai'i converted only 50 percent and missed on crucial attempts down the stretch.
Penn's Ibrahim Jaaber had a game-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting.
Senior guard Deonte Tatum scored a career-high 17 points for the 'Bows. Senior forward Matthew Gipson added 12 points and eight rebounds while junior guard Matt Lojeski had 13 points.
Forwards Julian Sensley and Ahmet Gueye struggled from the field. Sensley tallied only four points and three rebounds and converted only 1-of-6 attempts from the field while missing on 4-of-6 free throw attempts. Gueye failed to score in double figures for the first time this season with a season-low five points along with nine rebounds.
Lingering effects of playing five games in 10 days took its toll on the 'Bows early as the Quakers surged to a 9-2 lead to open the game. Penn extended its lead to nine before the 'Bows cut the deficit to one at 19-18. A six-point Quaker run pushed the lead back to seven until Gipson's three-point play pulled UH to within one with 2:26 left.
Following a Jaaber trey - three of his 13 points in the half - Gipson's 3-pointer with 21 seconds remaining brought UH to within 28-27 at the break.
In the second half, the Quakers extended their lead back to nine at 50-41 after Jaaber's third trey with just over eight minutes to play. Moments later, Lojeski went on a tear, scoring nine of the team's next 10 points to pull UH to within 52-49 with four and a half minutes to play.
But the 'Bows couldn't get any closer and Eric Osmundson's lay-up put Penn on top 56-51 with 54 seconds left. Poor free throw shooting hurt UH down the stretch as Sensley and Tatum missed one of two each.
A Steve Danley free throw gave Penn a four-point lead with 21 seconds left, until Tatum's driving lay-up with 13 ticks remaining cut the deficit to 57-55. UH forced a turnover on Penn's inbounds pass but Gueye could not get the handle on a Lojeski pass in the lane. Still the 'Bows had one last chance to tie after Danley made one of two free throws with six seconds left but Sensley 25-footer missed.
The 'Bows return to Western Athletic Conference action by hosting No. 20 Nevada, Thursday, Jan. 5. Tip-off is 7:05 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.
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