Box Score

HONOLULU - For the second straight game the University of Hawai`i men's basketball team found themselves in a close call and for the second straight time UH came on the short end. The Rainbow Warriors fell to St. John's, 68-62, in the consolation bracket of the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Rainbow Classic Friday at he Stan Sheriff Center.

St. John's (4-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with the win, while UH (3-6) dropped its second straight game and third in its last four. In their first ever meeting in Honlulu, St. John's improved to a perfect 5-0 all-time over Hawai`i.

Hawai`i was playing catch up for much of the game, but had a win within reach when it trailed by a single point with less than two minutes remaining. However, Eugene Lawrence buried a clutch three-pointer with 1:52 remaining and UH turned the ball over on successive possessions to squash any comeback hopes.

Anthony Mason, Jr. led St. John's with 17 points, while D.J. Kennedy had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Lawrence finished with 10 points and a game-high five assists.

Matt Gibson led the way with 17 points and three steals for UH. Bobby Nash poured in 12 points and added four assists, while Bill Amis scored 10 points, hitting all five of his shots.

Both teams were coming off tough first round losses, but neither seemed to suffer from any hangover. UH got off to a fast start, hitting its first five shots from the floor to take an early six point lead. But the Red Storm scored 12 unanswered points to take the lead and eventually built its lead to as many as 10. UH battled back, trailing by just three points, 34-31, at halftime despite the Red Storm shooting a blazing 71 percent by the break.

UH stayed within distance the entire second half and the score was tied with six minutes remaining. Hawai`i, however, was never able to enjoy the advantage. The Bows particularly suffered from a long-range drought, hitting just two of its 17 three point attempts. UH did a solid job on the glass, out-rebounding the Red Storm, 30-22, including 18 offensive boards.

UH will now face Georgia on the hardwood as well as the gridiron. The Rainbow Warriors and Bulldogs will play each other in the seventh place game of the Classic on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Georgia fell victim to a last second three-pointer by in falling, 70-69, to Tulane in the other consolation match-up.

 

 

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