Hawaii still stumbling

Hawaii is still stumbling around and not yet able to play consistent basketball. It's a case of JC newcomers still getting acclimated, freshman in the learning process and seniors not able to carry the team until their teammates develop.

St. John's frustrates UH
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser
December 22, 2007

Even while playing a rare lunch-time game, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team couldn't catch a break yesterday.

The Rainbow Warriors once again experienced a frustrating finish, this one in the form of a 68-62 loss to St. John's in a consolation game of the 44th annual Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.

An afternoon crowd of 1,241 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the 'Bows drop to 3-6, including 0-2 in the Classic.

Hawai'i will play Georgia in the seventh-place game today at 11 a.m. St. John's, which improved to 5-3, will play Tulane for the consolation championship.

"We don't want to be the only team that didn't get a win (in the tournament)," Hawai'i senior tri-captain Riley Luettgerodt said. "So that's motivation. We just need to get a win."

For the second consecutive game, the 'Bows fumbled away key possessions in the closing minutes.

Hawai'i trailed by as many as nine points in the second half, but cut it to 60-59 with 3:35 remaining. However, the 'Bows committed two turnovers and got out-scored 8-3 the rest of the way.

"It's a recurring thing," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "We turn the ball over at inopportune times. We can't afford to do that."

The 'Bows followed a similar script in a 61-59 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette in a first-round game Wednesday. That sent Hawai'i to the afternoon consolation bracket for the first time since 1995...

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