2008 Woodie Awards
Late rally gives 'Bows first WAC home win
Gibson's final seconds layup lifts Warriors over Spartans, 65-64
Glendalyn Junio
Issue date: 1/16/08 Section: Sports
A flat start was not enough to hold the University of Hawai‘i men's basketball team back, as the Rainbow Warriors rallied to a 65-64 win over San Jose State Monday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Senior guard Matt Gibson scored the game-winning basket with just 11 seconds left on the clock to cap the last minute comeback by the 'Bows. UH improves to 6-11 overall and 2-2 in the Western Athletic Conference, while San Jose State drops to 8-7, 1-2 WAC.
"We were fortunate to get the win," head coach Bob Nash said. "We came out of the locker room to start the game flat. The guys, for some reason, just weren't at the energy level they should be."
A crowd of 2,772 watched as the 'Bows fell behind by as many as 11 points in the first half, as Hawai‘i struggled to convert at the free-throw line. In the first half, the Rainbow Warriors had a mere 12.5 free-throw percentage, shooting only 1-of-8 from the line.
"We just haven't shot the ball well in this building for some reason in the last two weeks. I don't know if it's not having the opportunity to be here to practice, but hopefully next week can get in here before Fresno," Nash said. "(But), to give our guys credit, when we needed to make free throws down the stretch, I think we made nine in a row."
The 'Bows shot 11-of-14 from the line in the second half.
The duo of Gibson and sophomore forward Bill Amis led the squad, finishing with a team-high 14 points each. Amis also added a team-high seven rebounds and played a critical role in the final minutes, as he scored all but two of his points in the second half, including five of the team's final seven points. Senior guard Bobby Nash chipped in 13 points and four assists.
The Rainbow Warriors' second meeting with the Spartans in a little over a week proves its dominance over San Jose State, as it marks the 'Bows' 11th straight win over the Spartans. The victory did not come easy though. Hawai‘i trailed for nearly the entire game, tying the score for the first time, 47-47, with 6:28 left in the matchup.
Leading the Spartans was junior guard Dashawn Wright, who finished with a game-high 20 points, including a jump shot that gave the Spartans a 64-63 lead with 39 seconds left. Sophomore center C.J. Webster notched 16 points and eight rebounds.
UH finally took the lead on a Nash 3-pointer at the 3:38 mark to set up back-and-forth action for the remainder of the game.
Hawai‘i finished the game shooting just 12-of-22 from the line and 3-of-14 from 3-point range. UH, however, stepped up in crunch time. Nash's momentous 3-pointer and a perfect performance from the line in the final six minutes, with the team hitting all nine of its final free-throw attempts, guided the team to victory.
The Rainbow Warriors end their three-game homestand when they face Fresno State on Saturday, Jan. 19. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Senior guard Matt Gibson scored the game-winning basket with just 11 seconds left on the clock to cap the last minute comeback by the 'Bows. UH improves to 6-11 overall and 2-2 in the Western Athletic Conference, while San Jose State drops to 8-7, 1-2 WAC.
"We were fortunate to get the win," head coach Bob Nash said. "We came out of the locker room to start the game flat. The guys, for some reason, just weren't at the energy level they should be."
A crowd of 2,772 watched as the 'Bows fell behind by as many as 11 points in the first half, as Hawai‘i struggled to convert at the free-throw line. In the first half, the Rainbow Warriors had a mere 12.5 free-throw percentage, shooting only 1-of-8 from the line.
"We just haven't shot the ball well in this building for some reason in the last two weeks. I don't know if it's not having the opportunity to be here to practice, but hopefully next week can get in here before Fresno," Nash said. "(But), to give our guys credit, when we needed to make free throws down the stretch, I think we made nine in a row."
The 'Bows shot 11-of-14 from the line in the second half.
The duo of Gibson and sophomore forward Bill Amis led the squad, finishing with a team-high 14 points each. Amis also added a team-high seven rebounds and played a critical role in the final minutes, as he scored all but two of his points in the second half, including five of the team's final seven points. Senior guard Bobby Nash chipped in 13 points and four assists.
The Rainbow Warriors' second meeting with the Spartans in a little over a week proves its dominance over San Jose State, as it marks the 'Bows' 11th straight win over the Spartans. The victory did not come easy though. Hawai‘i trailed for nearly the entire game, tying the score for the first time, 47-47, with 6:28 left in the matchup.
Leading the Spartans was junior guard Dashawn Wright, who finished with a game-high 20 points, including a jump shot that gave the Spartans a 64-63 lead with 39 seconds left. Sophomore center C.J. Webster notched 16 points and eight rebounds.
UH finally took the lead on a Nash 3-pointer at the 3:38 mark to set up back-and-forth action for the remainder of the game.
Hawai‘i finished the game shooting just 12-of-22 from the line and 3-of-14 from 3-point range. UH, however, stepped up in crunch time. Nash's momentous 3-pointer and a perfect performance from the line in the final six minutes, with the team hitting all nine of its final free-throw attempts, guided the team to victory.
The Rainbow Warriors end their three-game homestand when they face Fresno State on Saturday, Jan. 19. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.
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