Warriors drop road game at No. 20 UNLV
The Hawai’i basketball team learned the hard way that it is never a good idea to start off with a big deficit in Las Vegas.
The Warriors trailed by as many as 26 points in the first half of an eventual 77-63 loss at 20th ranked UNLV on Saturday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center. Hawai’i rallied to get as close as eight points in the second half, but the hole proved to be too deep for them to get out of.
“I’m very proud of the guys for that second 20 minutes,” Hawai’i head coach Gib Arnold said. “It’s just too bad we couldn’t put together a full 40 minutes and make it a better game.”
The Warriors dropped to 4-2, with both losses to teams that are currently ranked in the Top 25. UNLV improved to 5-1.
Christian Standhardinger led the Warriors with 27 points and 10 rebounds. He had 16 points and six rebounds in the second half, when Hawai’i out-scored UNLV, 36-28.
“We want to find mismatches and play to our strengths; they are as athletic a team in the country,” Arnold said. “But the one thing I thought we did have is Christian had a little bit of advantage driving their bigs. So we started calling more iso (isolation) plays and taking it to the hole.”
Senior center Vander Joaquim added 12 points and nine rebounds. He shot 3 of 10 from the field, including 1 of 4 from 3-point range. He was the only Hawaii player to hit a 3 in the game, as the Warriors went 1 for 18 from 3-point range.
The Warriors went 0 for 10 from 3-point range in the first half, and trailed 49-27 at halftime.
“We let the emotion and maybe the crowd and maybe the (UNLV) team get to us,” Arnold said. “It just wasn’t who we are.”
In the locker room at halftime, Arnold said he told the Warriors: “We blew it the first 20 minutes, but we got 20 more minutes to play as good as we possibly can and let’s not let a minute go to waste. We talked about playing four five-minute games (in the second half) … and I think we won all of those.”
Arnold said the Warriors got knocked down early, but refused to get knocked out. “We call it the hit-first mentality. We started to hit first and be the aggressor and we made a game out of it.”
The Warriors cut the UNLV lead to 61-53 with 6:03 remaining on two free throws by Joaquim. Hawai’i also cut it to 71-63 with 2:58 remaining and had three possessions after that to get it closer. But UNLV closed the game with a 6-0 run in the last 1:18 for the final margin.
Among the other Hawai’i starters, Hauns Brereton had four points and seven rebounds, Brandon Spearman had six points, three steals and three rebounds, and Jace Tavita had two points and two assists.
Junior guard Garrett Jefferson contributed eight points, five assists and two steals off the bench. He shot 3 for 3 from the field and 2 for 2 on free throws.
“He’s the one guy we do have that matches up athletically,” Arnold said. “He can stay with them defensively by himself. We’re a team defensive team … but Garrett’s a guy that can lock a guy up all by himself. I thought he played great. I was real pleased with Garrett. He had a good week of practice, and I told him you’re the first guy coming off the bench. I was pleased to see him grow as a player.”
Freshman forward Anthony Bennett led the Rebels with 16 points and eight rebounds.
The Warriors’ next game will be at home against Pepperdine on December 8.
“We learned from it,” Arnold said. “I don’t think it’s gonna happen again. Now we go back home. Our challenge is to play a full 40 minutes. I told them we’re not that first-half team, we’re that second-half team so let’s see how good we can be.”
Once they settled down, the team did much better in the second half. UH was initially shaken up by the crowd and UNLV’s athleticism. Yet, UH got to the line 11 more times than UNLV did for the game (shot in the 70s at the line). Hopefully, we can put together two full halves against these quality opponents in our near future — especially with the DHC around the corner.
Also, sad news for bball fans:
Rick Majerus passed away today at 64 years of age. He dominated the WAC in the 90’s and brought a lot of national credibility to the conference. RIP
I was very disappointed that Arnold didn’t play Manroop. The team shot 0-10 on 3 pointers. I think Manroop would have given some fire power from long range. Yeah, Jefferson played pretty good. But when your starting point guard gets only 2 points and 2 assists that’s not going to do it against good teams. No way. Teams are not stupid, they will just pack it in the middle. Brereton has not been shooting well the last 3 games. Spearman was a little off, but he hustled. Too many turnovers also killed us. And what’s this Joaquim jacking up 4 shots from the arc. The team looked like they were in a hurry. They didn’t heed John Wooden’s message. For all intents the game as lost in the first half. I expected better. And I expected Manroop to get minutes. I think Arnold made a big mistake and he will never know what kind of player he has against a good team. Don’t get me wrong. I just call it as I saw it. But, no question, they tried hard and played hard. Hopefully, a lesson learned.
Derek: Yes , I respect what you are saying about Manroop and his ability to get up and down and score some threes..I think it might be maturity , strength , running the O in practices and major D…Jace can run the O, play some D, however, unless he is wide open no pressure, hit a couple of 3’s, you are correct, with Jace, and no disrespect, just telling it like we , and other teams see it..if Jace is not going to the rim, or hitting mid range to 3, at least a little , 7 to 8 pts per game…teams will sag…it is like playing 5 on 4, advantage UNLV type teams,..
Hauns, he is in a slump. though, he and Standhardinger, Spearman, Jefferson, really ramped it up on D in second half..you are right again, if they played D, and had intensity besides Standhardinger, from the get go, a balanced attack from Vander, Hauns, Spearman and Jace, off the bench, even Fotu, he really shows his freshman game in this stage..against a top 25 team in UNLV..
Just my Opinion, Gib was going to go with guys who played D and got them to within 8 with a few minutes to go..I think he is proud of All the guys who gave supreme effort in the final 20 minutes..if they did that the first 20, maybe very close to the wire game, or ..possibly, with Hauns, Vander, Spearman producing their average pts per game, Hawaii wins a HUGE game on the road..
I loved the fact that till that final buzzer..the Rainbow Warriors did not quit..they were exhausted , and almost, got close..Yeah, now they have from Dec 8 through Dec 29 , a total of six games in the islands, including, good athletic teams in the DHC..I am sure, coaches will look at film, challenge guys to play ALL 40 min on O and D, and if Manroop can do it in practice..(just my guess) he will be in there,..if Manroop, doesn’t hand his head, and gets stronger, runs sets, D’s up and is another high BB IQ guy out there…by March, he will be a key player..Roop, has to get stronger, in BB game and physically..he will have a lot of opportunity, he practices with the starting 5 and the first 3 off the bench..so , Roop has his chance and if he buys in, will have major time come BWC play..
Wonder, if Aaron Valdes could possibly play this week? .Good rebounder, , Defender, major league hops, and athletic and long..helping on the 3 ball D, and doubling, as well as weak side shot blocker..could really get team going offensivley early on breaks..just a thought..though pretty sure he RS candidate..”targeted”..see how team does in next few weeks..Pepperdine, Chaminade on Molokai, DH Classic 3 games against athletic teams, and first BWC game Dec 29 2012 at SSC …six more games in Hawaii before January,..if Hawaii could go 10-2, 9-3, or 8-4 at worst by Dec 31 2012 to end year going into 2013..huge start..
Hey Warriors. loved the effort on UNLV’s floor second half, you had that 18000 plus nervous to inside the last 2 minutes..good effort, next time, go get good wins on the road in Cali BWC regular season games!!
Team has not reached peak yet..just has to keep improving game by game, for Fotu, Pavlovic, Manroop, Harper, and Jawato, first time saw top 25 team like UNLV on the road, only will help them come next six games..I have no doubt..
We better get a sign out Derek, we want roop, we want roop,…he does what coach wants defensively and can handle pressure on ball as PG and run sets..he will see time,,pretty soon..he should play the 2..have Jace and Jefferson and Spearman and Hauns be the playmakers, then Roop, Harper, and Jawato, could be the 3 ball men..
this team, fun though, now, all 12 of them can hit a 3 ball, maybe not for high percentage, yet their ability is there, Vander , it is part of his game now..I think if he goes to next level, mayb high end Euro, long shot NBA..(hoping hard you get shot Vander..you have to work, since you got injured, on all aspects of game)..hope you are first Angolan that played at UH to make it to NBA as a power foward…keep getting better, you and your team..I have a ton of respect for, you all could easily have given up and loss by 30 or 35 pts. yet you didin’t..kudos, to you all and coach Gib and staff,
Welcome home, now go get those next 6 games in Hawaii, get on a roll, and have fun..oh yearh, most importantly, do well this semester in school..!!
Go warriors..and Tonganator, Isaac learning the ropes of DI major UNLV top 25 type team speed game, He will get theri, Isaac will be ready come DHC time I am sure..!!
the important thing is
66 shot attempts and 15 attempts for a free UNLV
62 shot attempts and 26 free attempts for UH
It shows that we have the opportunity to win the game
We played very well but we had no points
points will come when guys will not be nervous
We are still growing, and our time is coming
Congratulations guys you’re champions and that you must know
Do not have fear
GO WARRIORS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO CHAMPIONS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ozi Mum….
You know your basketball, simple game, score more with opportunities from field and at line..UH had chance, you are correct , nerves, big major NCAA college BB stage..guys gave their all in the second half, I think you will read on this fourm more and more of those comments..I always appreciate a team, coming from a huge deficit and
making a huge run, and having chance to catch up and possibly win..you are correct Ozi Mum, they steady their play, play with heart,unity and just keep improving game by game. They will win championships this year..
Hey they got the Rainbow Classic Trophy, now they can shoot for the Diamond Head Classic Trophy, and lastly the Big West Conference Tournament Championship Trophy for automatic bid to NCAA Championships!! The ultimate , March Madness here we come!!
P.S. you must have played Basketball in Croatia, or coached or a daughter or wife of one…you have high BB IQ!!
Ozi Mum: You should know that Gib had some nice things to say about your son during his postgame radio interview. Said how he played Ozi more minutes, said he brings athleticism and versatility, and has shown a nice shooting touch in practice although he hasn’t shown it yet in the games. Ozi has a bright future.
Was at the game, Here’s what I saw…
UH did everything I was afraid of: 1. They looked rusty after 10 days off. 2. They looked like they played their first road game of the year. 3. Most of the team looked intimidated by the crowd and talent of UNLV. 4. Too many turnovers in the 1st half.
UH’s mistakes buried them in a 26 point hole in the 1st half, which proved to be insurmountable. I think UH had something like 12 turnovers in the 1st half, mainly caused by sloppy passing. UNLV is super aggressive on defense and will jump passing lanes, and UH made several lazy/telegraphed passes that were stolen.
Christian Standharinger was the only Warrior that wasn’t phased by the big arena and crowd. Remember, CS spent 2 years at Nebraska when they were in the Big 12. He’s played at Kansas, Kansas St, Missouri, Texas, and Oklahoma. Those are some of the most intimidating crowds in the country. CS looked right at home yesterday vs UNLV and had a great game.
Hauns was absolutely awful. I thought he was going to struggle vs UNLV’s speed and length, but he missed about 5-6 wide open 3’s off of well executed set plays. He’s been a disappointment so far this season. He needs to step up his game, or he may lose his starting job. He’s starting because he’s suppose to be the outside gunner, but hasn’t produced. He’s a liability on defense and if he’s not knocking down shots, then there’s not much use for him on the court (which we saw when Arnold didn’t play Hauns much in the 2nd half).
UNLV did a good job of rattling Vander early and he got frustrated. Vander is a high emotion player and when things are negative, his attitude can affect how the team plays. UNLV doubled him from all different directions and it made Vander hesitant on where to go with the ball. That was a good job by coach Rice. Over the past 2 years, I have noticed that Vander struggles vs centers that match his physicality. In the 2nd half, Vander and Bennett were really battling for position and was fun to watch them bang it out.
I though Jefferson had a nice game off the bench. Arnold played him because of his athleticism and he can hang with UNLV’s speed. He did a good job of limiting Anthony Marshall and Katin Reinhardt.
The new guys looked a bit rattled with the environment. Tavita was a non-factor, Fotu was a non-factor, Oz was ok in his limited minutes. Spearman had a poor game defensively. Backside rotations were poor and led to several UNLV dunks.
UNLV has had issues with consistent effort through 40 min, and UH made their run, but the deficit was just too big. The one area where I though GIb missed on was taking advantage of UNLV’s freshman gunner, Katin Reinhardt (the white guy). He’s a poor on ball defender and UNLV’s help defense has been spotty all season. I think is was Spearman who torched him in the 2nd half on an isolation and they only tried one other time to get the iso again, but couldn’t get the entry pass.
In the end 17 turnovers and 1-18 from 3pt range isn’t going to win on the road. Most of those attempts were open looks, so I don’t expect UH to shoot this poorly again. The good news is that UH won’t play against anything close to UNLV’s talent the rest of the season.
Like Orstowski last year, Tavita needs to show some scoring ability. Opponents know he won’t look to score and will sag off him and it makes it tougher for the other players. Tavita just needs to score enough to keep teams honest. 5-6 attempts per game is sufficient. There are times when Tavita has wide open lanes to the hoop but doesn’t attack them.
Good 2nd half effort. Yeah, it’s hard to catch up on the good teams. Standhardinger had a good game. What’s with Hauns?!?
Come on, Hauns! Rooting for ya!
Although he had token minutes of playing time during his rookie year, Jeremy Lin broke out when he was able to play a FULL game. If you start, the other team automatically gives you some respect, whereas if you come off the bench as a freshman to relieve the starting point they will zero in on you and try to disrupt your game.
I say let Manroop start and play the entire game and see what happens. His main focus is to run plays but if no one is hitting from the outside we got one more guy that can put it up. It boggles my mind that Gib kept Tavita in so long even though everyone knows he cannot put up points whether from outside, inside, or free throws. Tavita does some things well such as passing and tempo but it’s not enough. As it is we are getting absolutely zilch from the arc and we ain’t gonna win most of these games. Matters little what pg is there if no one on the team is making their shots.
The two captains Brereton and Joaquim need to step up. They have played in big games and need to show confidence and settle down the team. If they will be awed by crowds or other teams in this stage of their careers they need to relinquish their captain responsibilities and give it to Standhardinger.
The team left Hawaii two days before the game. Not enough. Sorry, you ain’t gonna beat a team like UNLV. They will beat you 9 out of 10 times if you are not fully rested (jet lag) on the road. If Hawaii wants to be big time they will need the budget to bring them over for at least 3 days. We are talking about Hawaii traveling to Nevada almost 3,000 miles away!
Nice summary FUHA. I had a lot of the same thoughts. Hauns needs to get his shooting touch back; if a couple of his open looks had gone in, UH would have been in contention down the stretch. The problem is more mental than physical; he knows he’s in a slump and is thinking about his shots. Don’t think Hauns, just play! You’re a good shooter and there’s no question the ball is going to start going in again.
We may have to bring back SHAQ STOKES as pg!
http://cosbysweaters.com/2012/11/30/4-hofstra-players-arrested-for-robbing-their-own-coach/
@ Dallan,
Unbelievable!!! but yet, not that unbelievable.
That’s got to be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard college athletes do.
Clearly Gib made the right move by letting Shaq go for “family reasons.”
HawaiiMongoose,
Yeah, if UH only hits 25% from 3, they game is totally different. Most of the UH players looked like deer in the headlights other than Vander and Standhardinger.
UNLV had their typical mid-game let down and UH made a nice run, but the deficit was just way too big to make up.
Dave Rice really game-planned well to limit Vander. UNLV is super athletic and we saw it in full action. Plus they were hot from 3pt range. UH’s poor defensive rotation gave some highlight reel dunks.
On a side note… the attendance was only a little over 15,000. Very few Hawaii fans showed up, which was disappointing to see. I was for sure the only person in section 119 wearing UH apparel and it was difficult to spot UH fans in the upper levels. By comparison, UNLV vs UC-Irvine drew 16,000+ on Wednesday night, and UC-I fans don’t travel well.
On a 2nd side note, I had to do a double take when I looked at UH’s season stats to see that Vander Joaquim is the team leader in 3pt %. That’s not good.
I too, would have liked to see Clair play, but the tough part is, who does Gib take out? Gib had Jefferson and Spearman on the court at times (Tavita on the bench, meaning no true PG on the floor) because he needed them for defensive purposes. Jefferson was having a good game and Spearman was holding his own defensively so Gib couldn’t pull them. Tavita is needed to run the offense. Gib can’t pull Hauns for Clair, because UH would be too small with 3 guards and UNLV would have powered right through them. It’s a tough spot for any coach.
I would have hated to be UH’s locker room during halftime. I’m sure Gib ripped them a new one. UH really was playing well to start the 2nd half, so whatever Gib said must have worked.
Ozi Mum: I don’t know what Croatian food will help Ozi to gain muscle and fine tune his shooting eye..maybe send recipe to Gib’s wife, and she can make a whole pot of it..Ozi has a lot of skill, just a matter of his shots dropping, now we can see why he had Croatian pro ball potential..Ozi, keep on getting stronger, make your shots..keep your handles and assists, get steals, shoot high percentage of FT’s, you will help UH MBB here and on the road win games!!
Aussie Mum..: Keep the Tim Tams, and other goodies coming to Michael, your son is a super well conditioned athlete, just needs experience..he will have a game where he hits 4 or 5 three pointers to help UH catch up and win on the road..You have raised a great son, just like Ozi Mum!!
Thankyou and Mahalo to the Great Mums of Ozi and Michael!!
And all the moms of UH MBB team!!
Servante, I’m with you man. Now is the time to try things in the non-conference slate. Hauns is obviously pressing. He is rushing his shots and he doesn’t look like he’s in good position. I see his shot is off balance a lot. I wonder if Arnold will be as stubborn as Chow to make a change. Some players play better in games. Other are great in practice but can’t perform under the lights.
I didn’t see the game but I really like Ozi mum’s wrap up – very positive!!
FUHA – love the analytical detail – keep it coming!!
Uhfanzonly – love your thoughts, insights and postive inclusive approach!!! You always put a big smile on my face!!
Thnak you to all the posters (?) you keep me in touch with all things UHMBB which I appreciate greatly!!!!
GO WARRIORS – not long til I see a bit of live action (counting the sleeps down now!!!)
MO:Maybe Gib should start against Pepperdine this Sat Dec 8 2012, Vander, Christian, Ozi, Spearman and Jefferson… that lineup would go 6’10”,6’8″,6’8″, 6’3″,6’3″…could have 4 hi motor guys on the court at once..with 3 ball range from 4 of them, and two of the most athletic guards playing D and getting up and down the court and to the rim, in a blink in Jefferson, he is the guy with more
time..could be good, matches up with the athletic quick teams…just for their effort to come back from 27 pts down in first half to 8 pts down with about 2 minutes to go..Maybe that group could get the D going and
rebound and run outs and spot up 3’s, I don’t blame Vander for striking from 3, he wanted to get back into game and win, now if Ozi can start to score 8 pts to 10 pts a game, that would be great, he would have to get stronger and play D and board..I think he can , Gib trusts him
Jace, Fotu, Clair, Davis, Harper . Hauns, and Jawato could come off the bench..
Worth a try..so UH could get out to solid lead, and keep on building on it from tip off to final buzzer, especially with UH’s next 8 games in the state of Hawaii, 7 in SSC and 1 on Molokai against Chaminade..playing on the road for new guys, young guys and in a hostile
enviroment, with 15000 screaming rebs, that shook them up, the first half,..love the effort, hustle and desire to come back!!..this team , UH, usually averages about 5 or 6 3’s a game? just guessing..if they hit 6 total threes in the game, and made a few critical stops in last 10 min. maybe they would have won..Gib, now focus, of team. have a whole practice of FT
shooting, which they did pretty well at UNLV and mid range to 3 line shooting..you have to make 5 or 6 or more threes nowadays to have chance to win games on the road..
Still early in season, these guys , UH MBB team will be alright, they are battlers, they won’t give up, new guys are learning, now , HAUNS, you gotta step up bro…otherwise, someone else
will take your place in starting lineup, even in the first 3 off the bench..Gib will play whomever he thinks is playing well and giving team best chance to win, freshman or senior!!
Garrett Jefferson – I just gotta give some props to Garrett who came off the bench and wasn’t afraid to play some defense out there. He played with NO FEAR and led the comeback along with Christian.
22-minutes – 8 points, 5 assists, 3-reb, a block and 2-steals for Garrett.
And he did not miss a shot.
Good game Garrett, hope to see more of that!
Go Warriors!
If you think Jefferson can shoot from 3 point land, give me a break. Tell me what are his stats from down town. I’m from Missouri, show me! This is the game Garret Jefferson who air balled 2 free throws last year. Maybe he got better. That’s good because he’s got to be better. So he had a pretty decent game at Vegas. I’d like to see more, and more. As Bill Parcells said, let’s not go anointing the oil just yet. It’s just one game. The only game that matters now is the next game. Team, play better all around. Hans, play better! Vander, play better, etc, etc. Make plays.
Derek,
Did I say anything about 3-point shooting? Who’s Anointing? Just giving the young man his due because he did play well.
What’s up with the “give me a break…Tell me…show me…maybe he got better….decent….play better Hans and Vander…Make plays”…kind of anger and hate?
Can’t a brother just give some props to one of ours?
Hank, don’t take this personal, I wasn’t making my comments directed to you. Everybody has entited to your opinion. I have my own opinion you have your own. Leave it as is. Everybody on this post, loves our team wants it to be successful. Me, I’m a pretty hard critic being a season ticket holder. I pay my money to Koa Anuenue. Even when we win, I still try to find things that we should have done better. I am rarely totally satisfied. That’s just me. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy when we win, and upset when we lose. Shoji is pissed when he lost. If he won, he would still try to find things that the team could have done better, but he would be happy with the win too. I am not the coach, but the feelings are the same.
Hauns is not shooting well, might as well move Jefferson to the three ,Spearman , Tavita at the guards.
hey Hank, that’s a nice pop for Garrett!
hey Garrett, very timely stepped-up. now we like to see how consistent you can be!?
hey Coach Gib, Garrett earned his starter-roll; reward him now will encourage others to step-up always! (it’s up to him to prove himself hereafter).
all these smart kids know that if anyone goofed, he will be huhu; and, if someone stepped-up outstandingly, deserves to be rewarded.
this is the kind of fairness, which certainly will help to retain talents for the TEAM. (now is the opportunity for you to show that what kind of coach you really are!).
King Christian, you really shown how you can rule!!!
I was thrilled when seeing you using your right-hand repeatedly pounding on your heart and, smiling heartily then said: “I will take more & more charges who dear to come my way!”
hey, don’t forget the ref’s are the “supreme court”! i.e. no one has the right to jeopardizes the win(s) of the TEAM.
RE: Shaquille Stokes “Progress” After transferring to Hofstra?
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/hofstra_basketball_players_busted_qKaH4omWlkdqZplG3FU9kL
The big guys inside must score in double figures everytime for us to win. If the guards can score on some outside shooting that would be a huge plus. But, everybody needs to make those free throws. It always happens, in the close games it’s going to come down to the free throws.
At least Stokes was a team leader at something…
Makes you wonder what kinds of mischief he was up to at UH. Almost every athletic department across the country covers up most incidents involving athletes. Only incidents involving legal issues or public relations (Stevie Wonder concert) are let out to the media.
I have a feeling Stoke’s “family issues” was a cover for other issues. I guess this is another case of, “you can take a brotha out of the hood, but you can’t take the hood out of the brotha.” — especially when you place him back in the hood. or whatever…
On a side note, more proof that Apple is a superior product… All new Apple products can be set up to be tracked via GPS. This is how Stokes and his teammates got busted. In case you didn’t see the article, a fellow student in the dorm had her computer stolen (after Stokes was soliciting her to “have a good time” with his teammates) and the student was able to track the stolen computer to Stokes’ dorm room. Stokes had re-registered the computer to his name and was using the computer (must be connected to internet in order for it to be tracked)… What an idiot!!!
You would think if you’re stealing Apple’s that you would at least know the some of the security features on them. Then again, people stealing electronics typically don’t have the highest IQs.