Box Score
Game Notes

HONOLULU – The University of Hawai`i men's basketball team claimed the consolation title of the 45^th Annual Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic with a 78-70 win over Pepperdine Tuesday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. The 'Bows improved to 8-4 overall, while finishing with a 2-1 mark in the final eight-team edition of the tournament.

 

Lasha Parghalava came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points, including 17 points in the decisive second half. The junior guard went 7-of-10 from the field and buried five three pointers. Bill Amis (16) and Petras Balocka (11) also finished in double figures for UH. Lorne Jackson led four Waves in double figures with 18 points.

 

The Waves (2-13) entered the game having lost 12 of its last 13 games, but they would be not push-over. Pepperdine led by as many as seven points in the first half, held a one point lead at the break and went up 43-39 in the opening minutes of the second half. But UH went on a 21-8 run to take a nine-point lead with just five minutes remaining and would not relinquish the lead.

 

UH won despite a season-low three points by leading scorer Roderick Flemings, who was saddled with foul trouble for much of the game. The rest of the 'Bows picked up the slack however, as UH shot 52 percent from the floor, hit 24-of-27 on the free throw line, and out-rebounded (37-27) its 11^th opponent in 12 games. 

 
Buffalo captured the tournament championship with a 67-53 win over Colorado State. Coppin State defeated George Washington, 59-53, in the seventh place game, while Vermont beat Colorado, 84-59, to claim third place.

 

UH is back in action Saturday, Jan. 3, when it opens Western Athletic Conference play against defending conference champion Boise State. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.