Box Score

RUSTON, La. –  Petras Balocka's tip-in at the buzzer gave the University of Hawai`i men's basketball team a thrilling 54-53 win over Louisiana Tech Thursday night at the Thomas Assembly Center. The Rainbow Warriors (10-10, 2-6) picked up their first road win of the year, while also ending a season-long five-game losing streak.

 

The win also ended a 10-game road losing skid. UH's last road win game at Idaho a little more than a year ago. Meanwhile, it was the third straight loss for the Bulldogs (8-13, 2-6 WAC) who fell into a tie for seventh place with Hawai`i.

 

UH swept the season series with yet another last second shot. Bill Amis hit a jumper in the waning seconds to give UH a 65-64 win over the Bulldogs on Jan. 5 in Honolulu – the site of UH's last WAC win.

 

This time Balocka played the role of hero and capped a wild finish. UH trailed by five points at half but rallied in the second half to lead by as many as seven with under six minutes to play. The Bulldogs slowly chipped away. Jamel Guyton's three pointer with 17 seconds put La Tech on top. UH set up for one last play and as the clock wound down Amis desperately launched an off-balance jumper. It was off the mark, but Balocka muscled in a put-back just as the buzzer sounded. After a brief replay assessment, the officials confirmed the basket.

 

Balocka finished with 10 points and five rebounds, while Amis added 14 points and six rebounds. Roderick Flemings led UH with 17 points, including 13 in the first half.  Guyton led Louisiana Tech with 14 points and drained four three-pointers.

 

For the third straight game UH got off to a slow start and found itself in a double-digit deficit quickly. La Tech scored 11 unanswered points and went up 15-4 just six minutes into the game. But the Bows wouldn't fold and trailed just 35-30 at the break.

 

The UH defense picked it up after the break. The 'Bows held the Bulldogs scoreless for the first seven minutes of the second half and when Hiram Thompson hit a three-pointer at the 14:16 mark, UH took its first lead, 37-35. The Rainbow Warrrior built its lead to as many as seven points when Flemings' thunderous dunk put UH up, 49-42, with 5:50 left. An 11-3 run, capped by Guyton's three pushed the Bulldogs back in the lead, 53-52, and set up UH's final, thrilling possession.

 

The win was just UH's second in eight all-time trips to Ruston. The 'Bows last won at Louisiana Tech five years ago, 67-60.

 

Hawai`i next heads to Las Cruces for a contest with New Mexico State on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tip-off is 7:00 p.m. MT (4:00 HT) at the Pan American Center.