Matt Gibson update

Just so it doesn't stay buried, an anonymous commentor passed on this about Matt Gibson:

Hi! update 'bout Matt Gibson: Just signed with vice-champions of Romania, U Mobitelco Cluj.More details (in Romanian) here: www.u-mobitelco.roJust to mention that Anthony "Tab" Baldwin (look in Wiki if you're not aware about the former Tall Black bench genius) is our coach - and for now on Matt's also. Best Regards from Cluj, Romania!

An update on Matt Gibson

We always enjoyed seeing Matt Gibson on the court -- he played as the ultimate competitor...which is our ultimate compliment. Yes, he 'enjoyed' some 'time outs' from the court while at Hawaii but gave his all to Rainbow Warrior basketball. Let's hope he succeeds at whatever become his future endeavors.

Ex-’Bow Gibson keeping busy
Jason Kaneshiro
Honolulu Star Bulletin
8-11-2008

Running the transition game has taken on new meaning for Matt Gibson.

Since completing his four-year run at Hawaii in March, the former Rainbow Warriors guard experienced basketball at a new level in a different country all while awaiting the arrival of a new addition to the family.

Gibson returned to Hawaii this week to finish up some remaining school work following a 13-game stint with Marinos de Anzoategui, a professional team in Venezuela.

"For my first deal it was pretty good and it was a good experience," said Gibson, among the Rainbow seniors now pursuing professional careers overseas along with Jared Dillinger (Philippines) and Bobby Nash (Japan).

"I got to see a pretty good level of basketball. They have some pretty big, athletic guys over there and the American guys are all veterans, 28-29, big, strong and have been playing professional for a while."

He joined the team on June 6 and averaged 15.9 points and 3.2 assists in his first taste of pro ball. He shot 53 percent from 3-point range (41-for-78) and hit for 30 points in an 85-84 win over Deportivo Tachira on June 17....

Go here for the remainder.

A hat tip to the on-court Matt Gibson

Love him or hate him and the latter seems to be the choice of the majority of opposing fans, Matt Gibson is a competitor who gives his all on the court. He's certainly stumbled a few times what with some suspensions but the bottomline is we would like having Gibson on our team.

Emotions help ignite UH's fiery point guard
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser

"You can teach fundamentals, like how to dribble and how to shoot," Matt Gibson says. "You can't teach how to have heart, how to play with energy. I've always felt like that's how you can make up for mistakes or missed shots."

This Is The Way I Live

Matt Gibson does everything at full throttle.

Like a speed demon, he is equal parts exciting and dangerous as the point guard for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team.

It is why he is one of the most beloved and bewildering Rainbow Warriors of all time.

"The first day I met him, I knew he was unique," teammate Alex Veit said. "He's like his own category."

Gibson, a 6-foot-5 senior, is in the stretch run of his collegiate career. The 'Bows will close the regular season with road games at Louisiana Tech tomorrow and then at New Mexico State on Saturday.

The Western Athletic Conference Tournament is scheduled for March 11 to 15 at Las Cruces, N.M.

Hawai'i, which is 11-16 overall and 7-7 in the WAC, will be the No. 5 seed for the tournament, regardless of what happens this week.

"As a senior, as the point guard, I feel like a lot of the responsibility for how we do is in my hands," Gibson said. "The fact that we're not No. 1 in the WAC right now, I place a lot of the blame on myself. But this season's not over. We make a run here at the end, and all those losses will be forgotten."

This Is The Way I Live

The words are part of a tattoo on Gibson's left arm. The rest of the tattoo features a young man sitting on a bench, his face buried in his hands, a basketball at his feet.

"I don't like tattoos, and every time he gets one, I let him know I don't like it," said his father, Lon Gibson. "But that one bothered me more than the others. It just looked so sad."

Gibson had the tattoo done prior to this season.

"It represents the times of me persevering through my struggles," he said. "It reminds me that life isn't always easy or fair, but all I have to do is open my eyes and basketball will always be there."

Just like the tattoo, Gibson can be an enigma...

Go here for the remainder.

Boise State moves into first place (no, this is not someone's imagination)

Let's lead with the Boise State victory since the Broncos now reside in first place at the moment. But first the standings:

WAC standings

Boise State 10-3 -- 19-6 overall
New Mexico State 9-3 -- 15-12 overall
Utah State 8-3 -- 18-8 overall
Nevada 9-4 -- 17-9 overall
Hawaii 7-4 -- 11-12 overall
Fresno State 4-8 -- 11-15 overall
San Jose State 3-8 -- 11-13 overall
Idaho 3-10 -- 6-18 overall
Louisiana Tech 1-11 -- 4-20 overall

Broncos leave no doubt against Bulldogs
Gary Estwick
The Fresno Bee
2/16/08

BOISE, ID -- This time, there was no errant pass or slip under the basket on defense.
Fresno State fell 84-72 Saturday night to Boise State because it never figured out how to stop Reggie Larry and Matt Nelson at Taco Bell Arena, their moves under and around the rim bewitching the Bulldogs for the second time in three weeks.

This time, the Broncos didn't need overtime or a late-game Fresno State turnover to beat the Bulldogs. All they needed in front of a home crowd of 5,268 fans was enough post scoring to lead by double digits early and in the second half, a contribution off the bench.

Larry led all scorers with 25 points, along with seven rebounds. Nelson had 16 points and eight rebounds. Reserve Mark Sanchez keyed a run in the second half, where he scored seven of his nine points...

Go here for the remainder.

Or if you prefer the Idaho perspective:

Broncos win, move into first
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
February 17, 2008

Boise State knew where its advantage was Saturday night against Fresno State.

That's why the Broncos repeatedly fed Reggie Larry and Matt Nelson and rode their senior forwards to an 84-72 win over the Bulldogs in front of 5,268 fans at Taco Bell Arena.

Larry scored 25 points and Nelson added 16 as the Broncos swept Fresno State for the first time since joining the WAC.

"I don't want to sound conceited," Nelson said. "But I think with Reggie and I down there that we pretty much have the advantage in all of the games we play. We work hard and play well, it's what we do."

Boise State (19-6 overall, 10-3 WAC) moved into first place in the WAC, ahead of Utah State (18-8, 8-3). The Aggies lost at Hawaii 71-66 late Saturday.

The Broncos' inside dominance was magnified against the Bulldogs (11-15, 4-8), whose post players lack either the size or quickness to stay with the BSU duo. And once Nelson and Larry got Fresno State's bigs in foul trouble, their job was much easier...

Go here for the remainder.

+

This is the big one of the evening, Hawaii winning with big man PJ Owsley not even playing:

Ags falter in 2nd half
Shawn Harrison
Logan Herald Journal
February 17, 2008

HONOLULU — It will go down as the one that got away.

Utah State had a 14-point lead with less than 10 minutes to play late Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. But there was too much time left.

Hawaii got back into the game with a 15-2 run, then finished off the comeback with a 10-1 surge down the stretch. The Rainbow Warriors held on for a thrilling 71-66 Western Athletic Conference victory over the Aggies in front of 4,849 fans.

It was thrilling for host Hawaii, but certainly not for USU.

“That’s disappointing and sad,” Aggie head coach Stew Morrill said. “We worked too hard to put ourselves in a position to win and then just ... I’m sure they feel like they won it. I feel like we lost it.”

USU (18-8, 8-3 WAC) could muster just nine points over the last 10 minutes of the contest. During that time, Hawaii scored 28 points to grab its fifth straight win at home.

“We just gave it away, handed them the game,” Morrill said. “We panicked.”

Turnovers and missed shots down the stretch helped spell doom for the Aggies...

Go here for the remainder.

Or from the Hawaii perspective:

UH's second-half rally stuns Utah State, 71-66
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser
February 17, 2008

The roller-coaster season for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team took another thrilling turn last night.

The Rainbow Warriors rallied from a 14-point deficit in the game's final 10 minutes to score an improbable 71-66 victory over Utah State.

An energized crowd of 4,849 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the 'Bows knock the Aggies out of first place.

"It's just one of those teams that no matter what the situation, we're never going to give up," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said.

Hawai'i — which was coming off a 20-point loss at Nevada — improved to 11-12 overall and 7-4 in the WAC with its fifth consecutive home victory. The 'Bows are still in fifth place, but just two games behind new leader Boise State (which is 10-3).

"To be able to beat one of the top teams in the conference when nobody gives you a chance to be successful, I think it speaks volumes for how hard these guys work every day," Nash said.

Utah State dropped to 18-8 and fell from first place to third at 8-3...

Go here for the remainder.

and this:

Rainbow Warriors rally to beat Aggies
Jason Kaneshiro
Honolulu Star Bulletin
February 17, 2008

Generally, road wins in conference play are considered "steals."

Hawaii's home win over Utah State last night might fall under that category as well.

On a night when the school honored its past, the current Rainbow Warriors built on the celebratory atmosphere by storming back from a 14-point second half deficit to stun the Aggies 71-66 before a crowd of 4,849 at the Stan Sheriff Center.

"To be able to beat one of the top teams in the conference when nobody gives you a chance, I think it speaks volumes for how hard these guys work every day," UH coach Bob Nash said. "It's just one of those teams that no matter what the situation is we're never going to give up. ... I think you saw evidence of that tonight."

The Rainbows (11-12, 7-4 WAC) were to leave this morning for a road trip to Fresno State and are among five teams vying for the league lead.

"Like Coach Nash always says, we control our own destiny," said swingman Riley Luettgerodt, who scored 16 points and came up with six steals.

Trailing 57-43 with 9:45 left, the Rainbows outscored the Aggies (18-8, 8-3) 28-9 the rest of the way to earn their fifth straight home win...

Go here for the remainder.

and as for Nevada:

Pack basketball: Nevada's four-man show races past Idaho
Steve Sneddon
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
February 17, 2008

MOSCOW, ID -- Four were enough for the Nevada basketball team Saturday night.

Only four players scored for the Wolf Pack as Marcelus Kemp broke loose for 32 points and JaVale McGee tied a career high with 20 points and nine rebounds to lead Nevada to an 85-72 victory over Idaho in front of 1,817 fans at Cowan Spectrum. Brandon Fields' 21 points and Armon Johnson's 12 completed the scoring.

The game was the fifth in 10 days for the weary Pack, which gets a respite this week, but still has to hit the road again. After returning home today, Nevada will leave on Thursday and play Southern Illinois at Carbondale, Ill., in an ESPNU-televised BracketBuster on Saturday afternoon.

"We played a lot of guys so we'd have energy," said Nevada coach Mark Fox. "It's a tired team to be honest with you. These kids look like they're ready to go home.

"Early offensively, I thought we were sleep-walking. We talked a lot at the half about getting into a rhythm. We finally found a way to score on consecutive possessions."

Nevada raised its record to 17-9 overall and 9-4 in the Western Athletic Conference and Idaho fell to 6-18 overall and 3-10 in the WAC.

"It was a big win. Any win is big, but we needed to win coming off a loss (at Boise State)," Kemp said.

The Pack literally won the game at the foul line, where it hit 32-of-35 for a season-high 91.4 percent, on a night the Vandals had 27 field goals to Nevada's 24 and 10 baskets from 3-point range to Nevada's five. Kemp hit 15-of-16 from the line and Fields was 13-of-13.

"They were pounding us, hacking us," said Kemp, offering his explanation why the Vandals were called for 26 fouls to Nevada's 18.

In a game where there wasn't anything more than a four-point unanswered run for either team in the first 28 minutes, the Pack finally got a meaningful run going on a McGee 3-pointer that made it 54-52 with 11:56 left and started an 8-0 run. It was the 18th and final lead change of the game after there had been 11 ties...

Go here for the remainder.

Matt Gibson wants to take a bite out of Utah State

People seem to either love or hate Hawaii guard Matt (Honolulu Ink) Gibson -- on the court that is. The Rainbow Warrior fans eat him up. The followers of opposing teams take one look at his collection of tattoos and aggressive style of play and spew venom towards the young man. Yes, even at The Event Center (San Jose) where the basketball equivalent of the church mouse is able to slumber uninterrupted far too often.

However, if Gibson swapped uniforms, the roles would be reversed right down the line. Right?

Yes, Gibson has tried the patience of former coach Riley Wallace and current mentor Bob Nash more than a time or two but the young man is truly a Warrior/warrior. We'd want him on our team. For those who question his intestinal fortitude, read on:

Resting Gibson would be like pulling teeth
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser
Februay 14, 2008

Matt Gibson would rather have root canal surgery than lose another game.

He knows how much both can hurt.

Gibson, the leading scorer for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team, has undergone five dental procedures in the last two weeks, including a root canal surgery yesterday.

"I don't know what's going on," he said. "Every time they fix one, another one starts hurting. I hope this is the last one because I can't even sleep at night. It feels like my mouth is on fire."

Gibson said he underwent two surgeries in three days last week, but still played with pain on the left side of his mouth during Hawai'i's 88-68 loss at Nevada last Saturday.

"I even skipped the pre-game (meal)," he said. "But it didn't hurt as much as the loss did."

He said yesterday's surgery should not affect him for Saturday's showdown against first-place Utah State.

"You know me, I'm going to play no matter what," he said.

Hawai'i, which is 10-12 overall and 6-4 in the Western Athletic Conference, will host the Aggies at 7:05 p.m. Saturday in the Stan Sheriff Center.

Utah State, which beat Hawai'i 86-80 last month in Logan, Utah, is 18-7 and 8-2.

The 'Bows will need Gibson to be at his best if they want to climb higher than their current fifth-place spot in the WAC.

Since the WAC season started in January, Gibson is averaging 19.0 points and 5.9 assists per game. He had 25 points and eight assists in the loss at Utah State on Jan. 3.

"I thought we played well at their place, but we still came out with the loss," Gibson said. "Now they have to come to our place and I like to think that we should be the favorite against any team here..."

Hawaii on a roll despite injuries

Honolulu Advertiser columnist Ferd Lewis has a column today on the recent impressive play by Hawaii -- this despite an assortment of injuries and missing frontcourters. One element Lewis doesn't touch upon is the experience of the Rainbow Warrior starting five -- four seniors, two of them fifth-year types -- make up the quintet coming out to begin games. That's an enormous factor.

UH hoops hitting its stride
Ferd Lewis
Honolulu Advertiser
January 3, 2008

A month ago as this Western Athletic Conference men's basketball season began, any use of University of Hawai'i and "win the conference" in the same sentence by head coach Bob Nash would have prompted laughter, if not outright derision.

It is still a longshot, but when, in response to a question about the Rainbow Warriors' goals, Nash last night linked the two once disparate elements, saying, "Whether we can win the conference, we're going to give it our best effort," there wasn't so much as a snicker in the post-game press conference.

In the wake of a 71-57 thumping of Louisiana Tech last night that left the 'Bows 6-3 in the conference — and in a tie for third place, a game out of first place — UH is sitting pretty.

Pretty amazing, really.

For here is a team that got skunked — 0-3 — in its own Rainbow Classic and then proceeded to lose two of its first three WAC games. Hardly your precursor of success.

But since then, these 'Bows have won five of six games, including three in a row. Remarkable, really, when you consider that three of their biggest players, 6-foot-11 Stephen Verwers, 6-10 Ji Xiang and 6-8 P. J. Owsley were sitting side-by-side on the bench last night in street clothes. Only Owsley, who has a knee injury, might make it back.

"I'm sure they (the other WAC schools) are scratching their heads and trying to figure out how we're getting it done with all these injuries and problems," Nash said. "I'd probably scratch my head, too, about where we are at this point..."

Go here for the remainder.

Happenings in the WAC last night

From the various beat reporters in most of the WAC cities:

Here's Jason Groves from the NMSU point of view:

Gibson's floater caps Aggie victory
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
2/03/2008

SAN JOSE, Calif. - For the third time in the last six games, the Aggies responded after losing the previous game.

Following Thursday's disappointing 94-71 loss at Hawaii, New Mexico State held off a lesser team on the road, defeating San Jose State 83-81 in Saturday's Western Athletic Conference game at The Event Center.

Aggies sophomore guard Jonathan Gibson hit a 9-foot floater on the baseline with 1.9 seconds to give the Aggies the road win.

"I knew we needed a quick shot so I just drove and threw a floater up," Gibson said.

The Aggies are 3-0 following a loss in their last six games. NMSU is 3-3 in their last six games, mirroring their 12-12 overall record on the season. Despite their mediocre overall record, the Aggies remained in the top half of the league, improving to 6-3 on a night Utah State defeated Nevada, dropping the Wolf Pack to 5-3...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

More home cookin’
Shawn Harrison
Logan Herald Journal
January 3, 2008

That bad taste in the Aggies’ collective mouths was washed away Saturday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

The Utah State men’s basketball team rebounded from its biggest loss of the season — suffered a week ago — in fine fashion. The Aggies never trailed and enjoyed a double-digit lead most of the night against Western Athletic Conference foe Nevada.

USU head coach Stew Morrill was concerned until the final minute, but his players made sure the Wolf Pack would return to Reno with a loss. The Aggies jumped on their visitors early and went on to record a 77-63 victory in front of a sell-out crowd of 10,270.

“Coming off the New Mexico State game, defense is something that we really looked at hard and questioned our personal integrity with what are you going to do to help the team get better,” said USU forward Gary Wilkinson, who finished with a career-high 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting and pulled down 10 rebounds. “That is where we need to focus. I think we really executed tonight.”

Boy, did they.

That was certainly evident in the early going. The Aggies (16-6, 6-1 WAC) jumped out to a 13-2 lead just three-and-a-half minutes into the contest. Only a timeout by Nevada (13-8, 5-3) stopped the momentum.

But that wasn’t for long. USU quickly made it 20-6 when Wilkinson scored and Jaycee Carroll drilled his second 3-pointer of the game. The Aggies scored points on their first nine possessions of the game...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

Or if you prefer:

USU: Aggies earn redemption
Martin Renzhofer
The Salt Lake Tribune
2/03/2008

LOGAN - Utah State, determined not to repeat the debacle that was last week's 30-point blowout at New Mexico State, played arguably its most consistent 40 minutes of 2008 on Saturday night in the Smith Spectrum.

From the opening possession, it was clear that Utah State was more than ready for the dangerous Nevada Wolf Pack. Combine home cooking, a hot start by USU guard Jaycee Carroll and Gary Wilkinson's best game in an Aggie jersey to equal a 77-63 Western Athletic Conference victory.

"We watched the [NMSU] film on Monday," Wilkinson said. "It was tough to watch. It's not what this team is about."

Utah State (16-6, 6-1 WAC), 13-0 at home this season, jumped out to a quick 20-6 lead. Carroll, disappointed with his play in Las Cruces, N.M., looked for his shot early and often. He scored 12 points before the Spectrum seats were warm and finished the half with 17 - 24 overall.

"They came out breathing fire," Nevada coach Mark Fox said. "We didn't do a good job defending them.

"After the first 10 minutes of the game, we played even. It was the first few minutes that we dug ourselves a huge hole..." Go here for the remainder.

AND


From the Nevada point of view:

Pack basketball: Slow start dooms Pack as Utah State wins
Steve Sneddon
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
February 3, 2008

LOGAN, Utah -- It was the basketball equivalent of a first-round knockout.

It was a game the Nevada basketball team had trouble getting traction from the opening minutes and Utah State used sizzling shooting to make sure there wouldn't be a Wolf Pack comeback to remember. The message was abundantly clear, don't mess with the Aggies on their home court after they were embarrassed on the road. Jaycee Carroll scored 24 points and Gary Wilkinson had 23 points as the Aggies ran past the Pack, 77-63, in front of an announced soldout house of 10,270 at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Saturday night.

"We knew they would come out coming off what they came off (in a 100-70 loss at New Mexico State) breathing fire," said Nevada coach Mark Fox. "They played very well to start the game and we just couldn't get back into it deep enough. We got it to eight in the second half. We couldn't get one more possession where we could make a game of it."

The fire-breathing Aggies, who ran their 16-6 overall and lead the Western Athletic Conference at 6-1, scorched Nevada with a 13-2 run in the first three minutes and 32 seconds of the game. In the run, Carroll hit a 3-pointer and then sank a 15-foot jumper that gave Utah State its first double-digit lead of the game.

"They just got off to a great start. They just hit their shots," said Marcelus Kemp, who led Nevada with 16 points. "We couldn't stop their run. Get down like that it's tough to come back. Give Utah State credit. They played hard...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

Broncos take their 14th in a row vs. Vandals
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
February 03, 2008

Greg Graham asked his Boise State men's basketball team to focus on defense during the practices leading up to Saturday night's game against Idaho.
Maybe practice does make perfect. Or, at least, close to it.

BSU forced 12 first-half turnovers, held Idaho to 32 percent shooting and just 22 points in the first half and racked up a 78-64 win in front of 8,492 fans at Taco Bell Arena.

"Whether it won the game or not I don't know, but I thought our defense in the first half set the tone," Graham said. "We got far enough ahead where they couldn't catch up."

The Broncos (16-5 overall, 7-2 WAC) won their fourth game in a row and extended their winning streak against Idaho (5-15, 2-7) to 14 games. BSU led by as many as 25 points and never let the Vandals get closer than 11 in the second half.

"Fourteen straight - I love it," said BSU senior Matt Bauscher, who is from Caldwell. "Being a local guy, I love 14 straight."

All Idaho coach George Pfeifer had to do was look at two statistics to know his team was in trouble - the 32 points BSU scored off turnovers and the Broncos' 42-26 edge on the boards...

Go here for the remainder.

AND

'Bows beat Bulldogs for third win in row
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser
January 3, 2008

The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team is feeling super right now.

The Rainbow Warriors continued their surprising climb up the standings of the Western Athletic Conference with a 71-57 victory over Louisiana Tech last night.

A crowd of 4,376 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the 'Bows improve to 10-11 overall and 6-3 in the WAC. Hawai'i is now in a tie for third place in the conference, just one game behind co-leaders Utah State and Boise State.

Louisiana Tech dropped to 3-16 and 0-7 with its seventh consecutive loss.

Hawai'i entered WAC play having lost four of five games in December. Now, the 'Bows are going the other way, as their three-game winning streak is the longest of this season.

"Just a great team effort all the way around," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "That's the thing we're trying to build here at the University of Hawai'i, is that we play as an 'ohana."

In what is becoming their family tradition, the 'Bows relied on a balanced and efficient offense last night.

Bobby Nash led four Hawai'i players in double-figure points with 16 on 6-of-10 shooting.

Matt Gibson added 14 points and seven assists. Riley Luettgerodt contributed 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Jared Dillinger scored 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting...

Go here for the remainder.

Cowabunga! NMSU demolishes Utah State

Yes, Utah States was shorthanded but still nobody expected such a rout. Let's get right into it:

NMSU scores big home win against Utah State
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
1/27/2008

LAS CRUCES — Perhaps New Mexico State University would take it easy on Utah State on Saturday.

Maybe not.

After all, Aggies head coach Marvin Menzies knows what it's like to play shorthanded.

Utah State head coach Stew Morrill suspended four players for a violation of team rules on Saturday and the Aggies ran Morrill's UtAgs out of Las Cruces, 100-70, in front of 7,014 fans at the Pan Am and countless more on ESPN2.

It was the UtAgs first WAC loss of the season.

"Our hope was with their roster being a little depleted, we could maybe wear them down a little bit and it worked," Menzies said. "I expressed a little statement of sympathy for Stew because I've been in his shoes before and it's not fun but it is basketball and it's a part of the business. You have to do what you have to do to teach these kids lessons."

Saturday's victory also helped NMSU keep Utah State within striking distance in the conference standings. NMSU improved to 11-11 and 5-2 in league play while the UtAgs are now 15-6 and 5-1 in the WAC...

Go here for the remainder.

and

From the Utah perspective:

Blowout
Shawn Harrison
Logan Jerald Journal
January 27, 2008

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A stiff challenge became even harder before the game even began for Utah State.

But the Aggies came out and hung with a talented New Mexico State team for the first 13 minutes. Then it got away and turned real ugly for the visitors.

In a battle of the Western Athletic Conference Aggies, it was those wearing Crimson and White that reigned. NMSU used a surge before halftime to get some breathing room, blew it open to start the second half and cruised to a 100-70 win Saturday at the Pan American Center in front of 7,014 fans.

“We just got our butts kicked, that’s what it boils down to,” USU head coach Stew Morrill said. “It was no fun. They (Southern Aggies) deserve all the credit...”

Go here for the remainder.

and

Nevada cncludes a very successful road trip.

Pack basketball: Nevada blows past Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
STEVE SNEDDON
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
1/27/2008

Nevada 83, Louisiana Tech 70
Key stat: 61.2 percent. That was Nevada's shooting percentage from the field as it hit 30 of 49 for the game after hitting 16-of-25 for 64 percent in the second half.
Key play: JaVale McGee's layup to begin the Pack's second half scoring came after Tech had scored the first four points to cut the deficit to seven points and it never got any closer.
Key to the game: It was Nevada's composure and confidence after the lead changed hands eight times in the first 13 minutes of the game and then rallied to lead by 23 points twice.

RUSTON, La. -- The Nevada basketball team is better here than it is at Lawlor Events Center.

The Wolf Pack loses every once in a while in Reno. It never loses at Thomas Assembly Center, or so it seems. The Pack extended its win streak at the arena to seven games as it stopped Louisiana Tech, 83-70, in front of 1,467 fans Saturday.

Nevada's reserves particularly liked the Assembly Center as they combined for 31 points after combining for a total of 12 points in the previous three games against Idaho, Boise State and New Mexico State. Senior David Ellis led the Pack off the bench with a career-high 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field.

Among the starters, JaVale McGee and Armon Johnson had 12 points each and Marcelus Kemp had 11 as no Pack player played more than 28 minutes.

"I subbed a lot for everybody," Nevada coach Mark Fox said. "We didn't have a real sharpness to us early. We paraded them in and out of there before we were able to look a little sharper.

"We had difficulty defending early and we had to play some zone. Eventually, we got geared up. That zone played a big part for us. It allowed us to play two big players and not have to adjust to their smaller lineup."

Nevada was able to go back to its more familiar man-to-man defense after it began taking control in the final minutes of the first half...

Go here for the remainder.

and

What's the story with Matt Gipson (or 'Honolulu Inc' as we call him)? He was disciplined earlier this year and also in 2005-2006. The starting point and a fifth-year senior, it seems he should be exhibiting leadership, especially so for his younger teammates, but sadly is not doing so.

University of Hawaii burns Idaho, 58-53
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser
January 27, 2008

MOSCOW, Idaho—A disciplined defense — and a disciplined Matt Gibson — led the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team to a 58-53 victory over Idaho last night.

A Cowan Spectrum crowd of 1,518 — the largest home attendance of the season for Idaho — walked into the freezing night in silence as Hawai'i was able to avenge a disappointing loss here last season.

"I thought everybody contributed to this win, that's what makes it a good win," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "We talked about being at our best defensively for this game, and for the most part, I thought we were."

Gibson led the Rainbow Warriors with 16 points off the bench.

He did not start due to disciplinary reasons, but entered the game with 15:19 remaining in the first half and played extensively the rest of the way.

"This is my job, and regardless of the situation, I'm going to do my part to help this team win," Gibson said.

The 6-foot-5 senior point guard, who was held out of Friday's practice for "insubordination," shot 6 of 9 from the field and passed for four assists in 30 minutes last night.

"It was a big deal at the time, but we weren't going to let it divide us," Nash said. "We addressed the issue, Matt was held accountable for his actions, and he came out and helped us win the game."

Gibson's effort led a balanced Hawai'i attack. Bobby Nash and Jared Dillinger added 12 points each, and P.J. Owsley scored a season-high 10.

The score was tied at 48 with 2:58 remaining, but Gibson's driving layup put Hawai'i up for good at 50-48 with 2:23 remaining. The 'Bows went 8 for 8 on free throws in the final 1:47 to secure the victory...

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and

Fresno State and Eddie Miller rout San Jose State.

Home cookin' gets it done for Bulldogs
Miller, 'Dogs get back into win column with rout of Spartans
Gary Estwick
The Fresno Bee
1/26/08

Eddie Miller pumped his chest with both hands, glanced into the Save Mart Center crowd and smiled, signaling the return of his jump shot.

Nedeljko Golubovic was more subtle with his celebrations during Fresno State's 75-58 win over San Jose State. The freshman, who earned his second start of the season, supplemented his post moves with several high fives from teammates on the bench.

For the first time in a week, the Bulldogs had something to be happy about. And Kevin Bell had help scoring.

In front of 10,619 fans, Miller broke out of his two-game slump with 27 points, tying a career high.

"It's hard going into someone else's gym and play as well as you want to," Miller said. "You come back home, it's a lot different."

Golubovic added 14 points to go along with six rebounds, and with each basket in the post, continued to develop into another scoring threat the team desperately needs.

On defense, Golubovic did just enough to slow down C.J. Webster, denying him the ball in the first half and in the second half, he helped double-team C.J. Webster. Golubovic had four steals, thanks to intercepting entry passes.

Bell, Fresno State's leading scorer this season, finished with 15 points and eight assists...

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Hawaii roster down to 10, defensive play needs upgrading

More and more, it appears Hawaii just doesn't have the horses to be a factor in the WAC this season. Both youth and inexperience are also factors. Teams are just shooting too well for the Rainbow Warriors to overcome.

Basketball 'Bows seek to bolster defense
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser
December 29, 2007

The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team wants to start defending its home court successfully again by playing better defense.

The Rainbow Warriors are 3-8, and have lost four consecutive home games, due in large part to defensive lapses.

"We're having way too many breakdowns defensively," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "We're allowing too many open drives to the basket."

The 'Bows hope to have it corrected by tomorrow, when they host Centenary at 5:05 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The defensive deficiencies have been especially frustrating for the returnees from last season's team.

Last season, the 'Bows limited opponents to a .398 field goal percentage. It was the first time that a Hawai'i team held opponents below 40 percent for a season.

This season, opponents have a .458 field goal percentage...

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Hawaii's season begins now

With Matt Gibson's return, Hawaii can now get on with its 'real' starting five and see how competitive the team will fare this season. Unlike some of the other squads in the WAC with injuries and players out as a result, Hawaii had no true replacement for the injured Gibson.

Let's see how they do.

Hawaii's Gibson will return to action
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser
November 27, 2007

On what is being marketed as "Military Night," the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team will unveil a secret weapon tonight when it hosts Coppin State at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Matt Gibson will make his much-anticipated season debut tonight after sitting out the first four games with an injured left knee.

"There's going to be no hesitation on my part," Gibson said. "I tested my body and it's ready. I'm ready, no doubt. Are they ready for me? That's the question."

The Rainbow Warriors got off to a 1-3 start without Gibson. He was slated to start the season opener, but injured his knee during a practice two days before.

Gibson, a 6-foot-5 senior point guard, averaged 10.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last season...