Rainbows claim Classic title
| • | Fairfield's Gai can't block out tough loss |
| • | IUPUI beats Pepperdine for third |
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
What started out as a night of lows ended up with the University of Hawai'i men's basketball reaching new heights.
Hawai'i's Julian Sensley fires a 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds left in overtime, top, then celebrates what proved to be the winning basket against Fairfield.
In the ultimate local-boy-makes-good story, Julian Sensley drained a 3-pointer from the left wing with 9.2 seconds remaining in overtime to cap a thrilling 50-49 victory for the Rainbow Warriors over Fairfield last night in the championship game of the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.
A crowd of 6,081 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the 'Bows become the first team in the 40-year history of the tournament to win three consecutive championships. Hawai'i, which has won six consecutive games, improved to 8-2.
"To be able to come home and hit a game-winning shot like that in front of my family means a lot to me," said Sensley, a former Kalaheo High star.
His heroics completed an improbable comeback by the 'Bows, who won despite having their worst shooting game of the year.
"As I keep saying, they get better every night," UH head coach Riley Wallace said of his team. "They're coachable and they have a lot of heart."
Michael Kuebler, who scored a game-high 22 points and was named the tournament's most valuable player, said: "Three-peat. That's all I got to say."
But before the 'Bows made history with the victory, they made history by scoring only 13 points in the first half. It was the lowest total in a half by any team in Rainbow Classic history.
"We kept hurrying it out of frustration," Wallace said. "Second half, we were a little more patient."
The 'Bows opened the game by missing their first 12 shots. They did not score a field goal until Sensley threw down a breakaway dunk with 10:41 remaining in the half.
By the end of the half, Hawai'i was shooting only 16 percent (4 of 25), and trailed 21-13.
Fortunately for the 'Bows, Fairfield was not much better. The Stags shot 28.1 percent in the first half, including 1 of 7 from 3-point range.
"We were playing good defense, too," Wallace said. "It kept us in it. It kept us close enough that we could get our offense going in the second half."
Fairfield increased the lead to as much as 10 before Hawai'i started its rally against the slow-paced Stags.
Fairfield used a deliberate offense last night, often running 20 seconds off the 35-second shot clock before attacking the basket. Wallace said the strategy may have actually benefitted the 'Bows in the end.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
"Both teams were tired and they allowed us to get our wind back by holding the ball like that," he said.
Hawai'i's Michael Kuebler drives on Fairfield's Tyquawn Goods, left, and Rob Thompson for a layup.
Hawai'i erased an eight-point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation to force the overtime. Phil Martin's putback off a Kuebler miss tied the score at 42 with eight seconds remaining.
"It was all heart," Martin said.
Fairfield had a chance to win in regulation, but Terrence Todd missed on a driving shot as time expired.
The Stags scored the first five points of overtime to take a 47-42 lead it held until Sensley's shot.
Trailing 49-47, Hawai'i called a timeout and designed a play for Kuebler. Sensley was actually the second option. According to Wallace, the play was designed to win the game regardless of who took the shot.
• Saturday IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis) 85, East Tennessee State 81 Hawai'i 94, Lamar 88 • Sunday Fairfield 70, Bowling Green 60 Pepperdine 82, American University 69 • Monday East Tennessee State 75, Lamar 62 American University 73, Bowling Green 64 Fairfield 60, Pepperdine 56 Hawai'i 82, IUPUI 64 • Yesterday Seventh Place: Bowling Green 81, Lamar 68 Fifth Place: American University 71, East Tennessee State 66 Third Place: IUPUI 76, Pepperdine 72 Championship: Hawai'i 50, Fairfield 49, OT
"We worked on that play this week — it's called double-flair," Wallace said. "If (Kuebler) is open, it goes to him to knock it down. But they were playing him, so it goes to Julian."
Tournament results
Sensley had missed on his previous five 3-point attempts last night.
"It was one of those things where when the ball left my hand, I knew it was in," said Sensley, who finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Fairfield's DeWitt Maxwell had a shot to win the game, but misfired as time expired.
"We did a lot of good things, especially defensively," Fairfield head coach Tim O'Toole said. "Sensley hits that bomb on us and that's that."
Led by 6-foot-9 forward Deng Gai, the Stags dominated the inside throughout the game. He finished with 17 points, 18 rebounds and six blocked shots.
"I missed two (layups) because I was more concerned about him than making the shots," Sensley said.
Fairfield out-rebounded Hawai'i, 50-39. However, the 'Bows converted 12 of 16 free throws while the Stags were just 4 of 5.
The 'Bows will not have much time to celebrate. They open the Western Athletic Conference season with a home game against Fresno State on Saturday.
• All-Tournament team: MVP Michael Kuebler (Hawai'i), Phil Martin (Hawai'i), Akeem Clark (IUPUI), Alex Acker (Pepperdine), Jerald Fields (East Tennessee State), Deng Gai (Fairfield).
• Next year: Georgetown, Louisiana State and USC are the marquee teams that will participate in the 2004 Rainbow Classic.
The other teams in the field are Clemson, Alabama-Birmingham, Indiana State, Long Beach State and the host Hawai'i. Next year's tournament will be played Dec. 21-24 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.
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