Warriors beat Idaho in WAC Tourney thriller
LAS VEGAS — Hauns Brereton sank a 10-foot jumper from the right
baseline with 3.2 seconds remaining today to lift Hawai’i to a
stunning 72-70 victory over Idaho in the first round of the Western
Athletic Conference Tournament at The Orleans Arena.
The Warriors improved to 16-15 and advanced to tomorrow’s semifinals
against the winner of New Mexico State (23-9) vs. Fresno State (13-19)
at 4 p.m. Hawai’i time.
Vander Joaquim led UH with a game-high 20 points and 13 rebounds and
Brereton and freshman Shaquille Stokes each added 17 points.
The Warriors won their first WAC Tournament game since 2005 and
snapped a five-game losing streak despite the absence of school career
3-point leader Zane Johnson, who is back home suffering from
mononucleosis, and starting forward Joston Thomas fouling out with
12:14 remaining.
Brereton’s game-winning jumper came after he ran down a loose ball
caused when Stokes was stripped of it while driving to the basket.
Hawai’i jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the first five minutes and then
used a 9-0 run midway through the half to go up, 19-8, on a layup by
Joaquim with 9:24 remaining.
Idaho made just 4 of its first 21 field goals — and none of its first
six 3-point attempts — in the game’s opening 15 minutes as a slam
dunk by Joaquim made it 28-18 with 4:22 left.
The Vandals closed it to 35-28 by halftime on Djim Bandoumel’s free
throw with 2.5 seconds remaining.
The Warriors opened the second half with Thomas’ double-pump layup
followed by Brereton’s putback to go up, 39-28, less than two
minutes in, but Kyle Barone answered with a layup to start Idaho on a
14-2 run capped by Stephen Madison’s 3-pointer to give the Vandals
their first lead at 42-41 with 14:51 left.
UH took the lead back at 46-45 on a floater by Thomas, but things took
a turn for the worst soon after as Thomas was called for his fourth
foul and then drew a technical for complaining about it, sending him
to the bench for good with 12:14 still remaining.
Seldom-used center Davis Rozitis replaced Thomas and scored a layup to
put the Warriors back up, 52-51, with 10:03 left, but Madison answered
with a 3-pointer to start a 13-5 run that gave Idaho a 64-57 lead with
6:15 to play.
But Hawai’i fought back with a gritty 11-1 run capped by Brereton’s
two free throws which put the Warriors up, 68-65, with 1:43 remaining.
Deremy Geiger’s three-point play tied it at 68-68 with 50.8 seconds
left, and after a layup by Joaquim made it 70-68 with 29.5 ticks
remaining, Barone answered with a layup 12 seconds later to make it
70-70.
More details, including video highlights and interviews, will be posted later.
(WarriorInsider.com photos by Brandon Flores)
Game On! Congratulations Warriors!
Awesome game! True Warriors! Take it to them tomorrow too!
YEAH! Great job guys! Stokes really stepped it up in the second half and everyone kept their heads after Joston got benched. Great perseverance, great effort, awesome win!
WAY TO GUT OUT THE WIN !
Way to Step it UP Despite All the Challenges
(Too Many to Do It Justice with a List…)
LOW (Only 7) Turnovers … Out-Rebounded (BY 8) the Same Team that Out-Rebounded (That Is, Out-Hustled) Us by 20 just Late Last Week …
Not Only KEY Points but Double-Double Performances from Vander (Showing His #1 Pedigree) and Hauns … 40 minute Warriors Miah & Vander …
HIGH Emotions — Joston & Coach Gib Tee-d Up …
I’m SURE Joston will Do Better with this — Got At Least One More Game and a Whole Year to Improve … JT: Got To Play it Down Cooler esp. with Refs you don’t really know — AT LEAST these ‘Strange Refs’ didn’t have it in to take out Vander …
ALSO Great Job UH Fans & Band in Vegas (and Dayton & Co.) — Could Actually HEAR You on the Radio …
What an absolutely gutsy performance by the whole team! It was truly one of those Against All Odds kind of win!
What gives with the Technicals ????? It’s got to STOP !!!!!
Great Heart! Great win! Played hard , smart , together…till the final buzzer. Whomever on the floor got it done..Zane hope you feel better, this win probably help healing!!
Hats off to Shaq, Hauns, Miah, Van, Tre,Davis, Pii, Joston(keep the emotions in check…can cost a ball game!)
‘
You guys did Warrior Nation proud.
Go Get the Aggies/Bulldogs. tomorrow, win or lose , play with great heart!
Go Rainbow Warriors!..One of the greatest wins I have seen by UH MBB Team in decades!!
And Garrett , have to make at least 6 out of 10 free throws if you are going to attack the rim and get fouled…make those 6 free throws, win going away..However…you played outstanding defense, when you got fouled , it stopped the clock, gave your team extra time outs, rest and you guys finishes…off season, work in weight room Garrett and on your shooting, your defense and desire is outstanding..no one questions your heart!!
Good inspiration off the bench Garrett…!!
By “Work on Shooting”, That might mean 300 to 600 in-the-key and outside shots per day, ’til it’s automatic and you can “almost” shoot without seeing the basket (BTW – always see the basket before you go up — improves shooting percentage big time); and free-throws? whatever that takes, get up to 75-80 % practice time (?) ten, fifteen, twenty in a row every day …
You got to put in the time and focus — that scholarship is worth what, 6-10 K per year during school, and may be ?”Over a Million”? Lifetime …
IN HINDSIGHT — [Hindsight, No Criticism, just maybe a Lesson to be Learned] — we could see How Much Zane seemed to be suffering — Awesome Work, Zane, On Defense and Gutting it Out; it looked like you were having trouble breaking away and clearing for shots …maybe it would’ve been the right thing (if we had known) to let him rest — Five Guys going all out — as much as they can, like Trevor with an ankle sprain, works better than forcing when the body just isn’t up to it …
(Just Thinking Out Loud…)
KEEP The Lesson, Keep Up the Fire & Guts — Go for The Glory again tomorrow …
I LOVE YOU GUYS! Great win. Great EFFORT! Way to come out on fire and banging the glass like nuts. I’m so happy for this team! They deserve it.
Yep, great win.. especially after they just got hammered last week and without their best outside shooter..
TERRIFIC WIN!!! That’s the way to hang in there. You guys played with desire and lots of heart.
Go Warriors!!! 🙂
Hey guys,
Congrats. We know all along: You know all along that you CAN do it!
Year-long training comes to this. Timing could not had come any better.
Maintained focus, set your priority –
Just two more like this: Big dance reality will be yours!