Posted at 9:58 p.m., Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Nash's 3-pointer lifts UH over Oral Roberts, 55-54
Advertiser Staff
Bobby Nash hit a three-point basket as time expired tonight to lift the University of Hawai'i to a 55-54 victory over Oral Roberts in the semifinals of the Rainbow Classic basketball tournament.The Rainbows stayed unbeaten at 7-0 and will play Southern Cal (6-3) in tonight's tournament championship game. The Trojans beat Alabama-Birmingham, 81-78, in tonight's other semifinal.
Oral Roberts is 8-1.
ORU made a 6-0 run late in the game to take a 54-51 lead. Matt Gipson hit a free throw to cut the lead to 54-52 with 2:51 left.
With 10.4 seconds left, ORU's Larry Owens missed the front of of a one-and-one. Hawai'i rebounded and pushed the ball into the frontcourt. Nash got the ball with about two seconds left, took a dribble several feet outside the three-point arc and fired. The shot went in as the buzzer sounded.
Gipson led UH with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Caleb Green led ORU with 15 points and 16 rebounds, and Ken Tutt had 16 points.
