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ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team survived a late Hofstra comeback with an 80-79 victory, Thursday, on the second day of the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout at Sullivan Arena. The Rainbow Warriors will meet California on Friday, in a nationally televised game on ESPN2.

Matt Lojeski and Bobby Nash led UH with 17 points a piece. Lojeski added seven rebounds and sealed the game with a free throw with 3.7 seconds left.

The 'Bows led for the entire second half until the Pride rallied to tie the game at 71 with 2:00 left with a 12-3 run during a three minute span. But UH responded with a pair of clutch buckets on their next two possessions. Lojeski found P.J. Owsley under the basket with the shot clock winding down and Riley Luettgerodt's lay-up off a feed from Owsley with 50 seconds left gave UH a 75-71 advantage.

On Hofstra's next possession, Lojeski took a charge and Nash's ensuing free throws put the 'Bows ahead by six with 38 seconds left. Antoine Agudio's 3-pointer with 5.3 seconds left gave Hofstra hope but Lojeski made one of two free throws securing UH's victory. Loren Stokes capped an outstanding night for the Pride with a desperation 3-pointer as time expired.

Stokes finished with game with 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting.

UH's Ahmet Gueye had 12 points and four rebounds while Owsley came off the bench to contribute 10 points and six boards. Junior center Stephen Verwers added seven points and three rebounds.

The 'Bows converted only 8-of-25 from the field in the second half but made 24-of-29 free throws after the break. UH also out-rebounded the Pride, 38-ot-29.

"Tonight we got to the foul line and we made our free throws," head coach Riley Wallace said. "That's going to be a key for us this year. We made them down the stretch and that was the difference in the ball game."

In the first half, the lead changed hands 14 times with the biggest lead of six by UH when the 'Bows closed out the half with six straight to take a 39-33 advantage.

Nash led all scorers with 11 points and was 5-for-6 from the field. UH's frontline players of Gueye, Verwers, and Owsley combined for 18 points and nine rebounds.

Gueye scored UH's first five points of the second half as the 'Bows built its largest lead of 11 at 44-33.

UH's semifinal game begins at 8:00 p.m. AST (7:00 p.m. HST). The game can also be heard on 1080 AM.

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