Road-weary Warriors fall at LaTech
The Hawai’i basketball team concluded a forgettable road trip with a forgettable 84-67 loss at Louisiana Tech on Saturday afternoon at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, Louisiana.
The 10-day road trip — which included games at Montana, New Mexico State and LaTech — proved to be a Bermuda Triangle for the Warriors, who lost all three games in convincing fashion.
Hawai’i dropped to 15-13 overall and is now tied for fourth place (with Utah State) in the Western Athletic Conference at 6-6. LaTech improved to 15-14 overall and 5-7 in the WAC, including two wins over the Warriors.
“This was a tough road trip for us,” Hawai’i head coach Gib Arnold said. “We played three good teams, and all three have been pretty hot. It wasn’t a great run for us. We need to refocus and stay positive. There’s still a lot of season left, especially with that WAC Tournament right around the corner.”
The Warriors had the early lead in the game, but the Bulldogs took control late in the first half, then ran away with it in the second half.
“I think it kind of got to our legs,” Arnold said. “We got small (point) guards and when you play against big athletic guards, you have to get separation. Early in (the game) when we had our legs, we were able to get separation and throw that pass to Miah (Ostrowski) and he was able to make some plays. As the game wore down I think we got a little more tired and we weren’t quite able to get the separation against those athletes.”
Vander Joaquim led the Warriors with 20 points and 10 rebounds for his 11th double-double of this season.
Zane Johnson added 11 points, and Joston Thomas scored eight. Ostrowski contributed six points and 10 assists.
LaTech used a full-court defense that forced 22 turnovers by the Warriors. “We were throwing that ball around, and constant turnovers (led to) some easy baskets for them,” Arnold lamented.
Hawai’i raced to a 9-1 lead to open the game, but the Bulldogs eventually tied the score at 26 with 7:30 remaining in the first half. Moments later, LaTech went on a 12-2 run to take a 38-30 lead with 2:15 remaining in the half. The Bulldogs eventually took a 42-36 lead at intermission.
The Warriors got as close as 45-41 early in the second half, but the Bulldogs then went on a 16-0 run to increase the lead to an insurmountable 61-41 with 12:59 remaining.
Hawai’i rallied to cut it to 65-57 with 6:19 remaining, but on LaTech’s ensuing possession, Kenyon McNeail drained a 3-pointer, and Hawai’i’s Joaquim was called for a foul away from the ball. Michale Kyser hit both free throws, making it a five-point possession for the Bulldogs and a 70-57 lead that all but sealed it.
“I thought it was a moving screen (on Kyser); I thought when that whistle blew, I thought it was going to be our ball,” Arnold said. “It was a big momentum change.”
Hawai’i shot 43.6 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 36-32. LaTech shot 44.6 percent from the field, including 11 of 24 (45.8 percent) from 3-point range.
Trevor Gaskins led LaTech with 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
“There was about a 12-minute stretch there in the second half where the guys that were in really gave everything they had and played with a lot of heart,” Arnold said. “They were cheering for each other and pulling for each other and that’s when we made our run. That’s who we gotta be. When we get home we have to continue to do that.”
The Warriors are scheduled to return to Honolulu on Sunday, and will play their final two games of the regular season at home. They will host Idaho on Thursday, then Utah State on Saturday.
(WarriorInsider.com file photos courtesy Brandon Flores)
Embarassing loss. La tech is NOT a good team. The way UH is playing right now is terrible. I want the team that played Nevada tough in reno to come back dammit.
double damnit.
Started off great….too many turnovers…point guards small…
as bad as they played, thought they might make it close, but that 5 point turnaround when they got within 6 point..that was it.
This 3 game road trip was a hellish one. Other teams really playing well, Hawaii does not have good to great guard play to win consistenly when things start to slip, i.e. Tom Henderson, AC Carter, Troy Bow, Mark Campbell, etc.
Hey Memphis and Landon, hang in there, UH team will have 2 game winning streak going into WAC tourney…Gotta have whole team on same page, Hauns and whole team tried hard, yet very tired…Hang in there Gib..you have the WAC and if you get that 17 or 18 game win total..possibly Riley Tourney..which ain’t bad..
Remember guys, UH MBB still has winning record overall and can finish 8 and 6 in WAC possibly as high as third…so STILL NOT GIVING UP!!
Possibly Gib working ‘Em too hard …
Need to Recover the Legs,
Get Back the Speed, Power & Quickness …
Sure Lookin’ Like We Need ‘A Few” “REAL” Relatively Complete Guards for Next Year … Offense, Ball-handling and Defense; The By-Committee stuff worked earlier in the season but seems like a disadvantage as we get deeper into the season; many of the other teams’ freshmen & sophomores are dominating the ‘committee guards’ … Don’t even consider, can we even challenge seniors like Deonte Burton?
The ‘Kinda-Good’ Ball-Handlers: Miah, Shaq, Miles, even with Trevor’s help … Not Even Close …Garrett Jefferson can only improve so much (jump shots, free throws, ball-handling?); Shaq’s turnover avoidance still highly questionable; Miles seems to have “Lost” whatever shot he had (+ free throws, again?); Don’t know IF (Doubt that) Orel Lev, Jawato or Tavita can handle the ball under pressure. Good, Smart passing is supposed to compensate or complement a full-on ball-handler but looks like a severe team weakness for a while now …
STILL Got To Close Out With Wins over potentially tough opponents — Idaho can win on the road, Utah State has ‘WAC History’ and coaching experience on their ledger …
RE-Charge and Re-Capture the Winning Energy …
[For the Coach: Need different Strategies? Get rid of Or Minimize those Marathon Trips — Could coming home — sleeping for two nights in their own beds — after Montana, have helped ? ]
MORE …
The Way We Seemed to Run Out of Gas on WAC Roadtrips this year, MAYBE The Big West with its One-Leg Flights IS the Right Conference After All, esp. if SDSU does join; and maybe another or two ‘better’ programs…
Right Now not so sure we would beat San Jose or Fresno on the road …
Still liking the Mountain West Level of Competition (better) for Basketball as well as Football … BUT we never handled the altitude or travel very well …
Come on guys we gotta pull together as a complete team. Everybody has to play smart and energetic. Gotta have pride, man. Guys have got to step up. WAC Tourney is right around the corner……don’t be out lookin’ in. I tell you, you guys can do it.
and i remember a bunch of people saying pay gib more….
Thank god they’re coming home. Maybe they have been pushed too hard. That was one ugly road trip.
Is there another Jeremy Lin out there?
Agree with previous comments re: tired legs, which is what’s killing the team…..starters can onlu go full speed for so long, and the quality of the bench? Also agree UH in the Big West….distance is a plus, and wins will come.
This team is getting worse and worse. No cohesiveness. At this point, they would lose to Chaminade or BYU Laie. Frankly disappointing. It would be different if it was competitive. But almost a 20 point loss to a mediocre Latech? I really don’t think they’ll win another game this season. Gib has to do a complete overhaul. Find out who really really wants to play.
Well, this week TWO MUST WINS!! THIS IS IT WARRIORS, MAN UP AND BRING YOUR A GAME TO THE SHERIFF!!! CRUCIAL WINS NEEDED, FANS NEED TO PACK IT IN , AND RALLY OUR GUYS !!!!
The “SAME” Team can play at Higher Levels and Lower Levels …
Factors such as:
– Team Chemistry
– Physical Size
– Athleticism
– Quickness
– Skills (Basketball Skills, Shooting, Defense, Blocking Out…)
– Intelligence
– Level of Basketball Intelligence
– Level of Team (Interdependent BB Skills) Intelligence
– Physical Endurance & Strength
– FATIGUE
– Coaching
– Communication
– “Buy-In” (All Actually Working the Same Plan);
…etc. (many others)
Obviously Both NMSU & LA Tech have ‘overall higher athleticism; and i think Montana has pretty High Overall Basketball IQ; don’t underestimate LA Tech — i think they may be an emerging / elevating team that now has good young players who are learning to play D-1 ball with a Good Young First Year Coach — kinda where Hawai’i was last year and maybe even ahead of that because it looked like they have more & better overall athleticism and basketball skill – or they were just on-fire for one game and playing better for several games — i think it ‘might’ be a bad scenario IF Hawai’i finished 3rd and LT finished sixth, that they ‘could’ actually sweep three games from UH and we would have to admit them winning ‘all three’ is Not a fluke …
However, On All The Factors Above Hawai’i DOES Rate pretty high…
…just ‘not yet’ at all positions; i suspect we have an exposed deficiency at the guard positions, although Miah is still one of the best assist guards and CAN Shoot and Zane is one of the Best Shooters once he comes out of his head and/or physical slump / dumps. It IS a Tough Situation to be asked to Carry the Team as its ONLY real senior. Miah IS part-time – part of why he’s lost consistency in his shooting – and still has at least one more year of football.
Two of Three days Rest & Recovery going into Thursday’s game should yield a good, maybe ‘remarkable’ recovery — WIN these Last Two Regular Season Games — NOT an Easy Task as both teams can win on the road, and Utah State has very long Track Record with this coach …
AND they ‘could’ set up well going into the WAC Tourney — This Time, hopefully they Can recover their legs and don’t overdo the workouts going into the stretch run …
its straight up lack of talent and offensive threats
The most positive thing I read above is that possibly Gib is working them too hard. Only the post season counts now and, well it would be good to be in great shape for it.
Was there a place on the road where they could work out? That hard? Anyone know?
I don’t doubt their talent. Zane, JT, and Vander can score against anyone, impressively, all game long if given the chance. That is enough to provide room for the rest of the team to hit some gaps. Well, I’m waiting patiently and hoping for a little something in the tournament. C’mon Bows!