Men’s Basketball Clips Hilo Late In Exhibition Opener – University of Hawai’i at Manoa Athletics

HILO, Hawai’i – in a thriller of a game, the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warrior basketball team got by UH Hilo, 64-61, Friday night at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Tanner Christensen‘s three-point play with four seconds left broke a deadlocked score and lifted UH to victory in its first exhibition contest of the year. 

UH and UHH engaged in a tight match throughout with neither team leading by more than seven points. But the new-look ‘Bows scored the final five points of the game to seal a win in its first contest on the Big Island in more than a dozen years, 

Xavier transfer Gytis Nemeikša led UH with 14 points off the bench, while Christensen finished with a double-double of 13 points and10 rebounds. Tom Beattie added 12 points and six assists for the ‘Bows. 

UH shot 53 percent for the game, but were plagued with 24 turnovers and foul trouble that sent the Vulcan to the line 22 times. But UHH only converted 12 of those attempts, including two key misses down the stretch.  

The Vulcans got off to a fast start, scoring seven of the game’s first eight points. UHH maintained the lead for the majority of the first half as UH wouldn’t take its first lead until the six-minute mark when Beattie’s driving layup put the ‘Bows up 24-23.

Hilo responded with six straight points to take a 29-24 lead with five minutes left. UH however went on a 10-2 run in the final 3:31 of the half to take a 34-31 lead at the break. Nemeiska scored six of his eight first-half points during that run to spur the ‘Bows.

The second half continued to be close. The ‘Bows had a 42-37 lead at the 16:50 mark but the Vulcans scored seven unanswered to re-take the lead. The margin was no larger than three on either side the rest of the way.

UHH was poised for a victory holding a two-point lead, 61-59, and headed to the free throw line with less than a minute left. But Nadjrick Peat, who led the Vulcans with 12 points, failed to cash in on a pair of attempts. UH tied the score on a pair of Beattie free throws with 46 seconds left then got a defensive stop to set up their final offensive possession in which Christensen converted on a layup and ensuing free throw. Hilo’s desperation half-court heave was off the mark at the buzzer. 

The Rainbow Warriors will head to the neighbor islands again when they face Chaminade in an exhibition doubleheader with the women on Saturday, Nov. 2 on the campus of Kamehameha-Maui in Pukalani. The free-of-admission doubleheader will start with the women at 2 p.m. and the men at 5 p.m. There will also be a keiki  clinic the day before, on Friday, Nov. 1 at Lahainaluna High School. More information can be found here. 
 

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