Senior Jesinskis shines in home finale
| • | UH beats Rice in home basketball finale, 91-77 |
| • | Ferd Lewis: Future looks bright with Sensley |
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
In some ways, Paul Jesinskis was the "other" senior on the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team.
Among the five seniors playing their final home game as Rainbow Warriors last night, Jesinskis was the least known; the one with the least playing time.
Apparently he was saving it all for last night in a 91-77 victory over Rice in a Western Athletic Conference game at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Jesinskis had the best game of his three-year career at UH with 12 points and five rebounds.
"I can't explain it," said Jesinskis, a 6-foot-8 reserve forward from South Africa. "I've worked hard all year to get ready for a chance like this and I feel so fortunate that it worked out."
It actually started before the game, when Jesinskis spoke to his teammates about the importance of last night's game.
"I didn't want to hear anybody telling me 'Hey, better luck next year.' Some of us don't have a next year," he said. "And all these kids showed up to see us and I said it would be miserable for them to watch us lose."
Jesinskis shot 4 of 6 from the field and made all four of his free throws. Before last night, he had been averaging 2.0 points per game this season.
Still, he maintained his humble perspective after the game.
"I don't expect things to change," he said. "But I think I showed that I'm ready to play in any game."
