Box Score
MOSCOW, Idaho - The Hawai'i men's basketball team rallied past a feisty Idaho Vandal squad, 70-66, Wednesday night, in a Western Athletic Conference match-up at Memorial Gym. The Rainbow Warriors (15-9, 8-5 WAC) trailed by 10 at the half to the league's last place team.
UH forward Julian Sensley scored 16 of his team-high 19 points in the second half, which the 'Bows out-scored the Vandals, 43-29. The senior converted 6-of-8 attempts from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range after halftime. For the game, Sensley finished 7-of-11 shooting and for the second straight game, tied his career-best with five treys.
Forward Ahmet Gueye sealed the victory with a pair of free throws with 13.9 seconds left. Gueye, who had 15 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks, made both free throws to put UH ahead by three after the Vandals cut the deficit to one with consecutive lay-ups.
Senior guard Deonte Tatum matched his career-high of 17 points and played the entire 40 minutes for the first time in his career. Tatum made seven of his 10 attempts from the field, and had a team-best nine in the first half.
UH used a 16-2 run in the second half, including 12 unanswered, to rally from a five-point deficit to take a nine-point lead with 9:04 remaining. Tatum's three-point play tied the game at 49 and Chris Botez's lay-up gave the 'Bows their first lead since 2-0 to start the game.
Hawai'i led 64-54 before the Vandals responded with an 8-0 run of its own to close to within 64-62 with 5:29 left. But Idaho did not score until a lay-up by Mike Kale with just under a minute to play cut the UH lead to 67-64. After Matt Lojeski turned the ball over on UH's ensuing possession, Kale put back Brett Ledbetter's missed lay-up to pull the Vandals to within one.
Idaho (4-21, 1-12) allowed the 'Bows to run off the clock to 13.9 seconds until fouling Gueye. After Gueye made both free throws, the Vandals had a chance to tie the game but Ledbetter's 3-point attempt missed and Lojeski grabbed the rebound.
Guard Keoni Watson scored a game-high 22 points to lead four Vandals in double figures. Senior guard Tanoris Shepard added 12 points while Ledbetter and Kale each scored 10.
The Vandals took a 19-10 lead eight minutes into the game following consecutive Ledbetter 3-pointers. The Vandals built their largest lead at 31-17 before the 'Bows scored eight unanswered to close to within six.
However, UH scored just one basket in the final 5:16 of the half and trailed 37-27 at the break. Idaho's guards caused fits for the 'Bows as Watson, Shepard, and Ledbetter combined for 27 first half points on 11-of-18 shooting.
The 'Bows turned it around in the second half by shooting 71.4 percent from the field. For the game, UH shot 54.2 percent, including a season-best 64.3 percent from 3-point range.
Hawai'i continues its road trip at San Jose State, Saturday, Feb. 25. Tip-off is set for 3:05 p.m. PST (1:05 p.m. HST) at The Event Center in San Jose, Calif. The game will be televised live on KFVE-TV as well as broadcast on Sportsradio 1420am.
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