honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Tuesday, February 22, 2005

UTEP frustrates Rainbow Warriors

 •  Ferd Lewis: Point has been point for 'Bows
 •  Game statistics

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

If this season were about horseshoes, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team would be great.

Hawai'i forward Julian Sensley, left, tries to work around Texas-El Paso guard Jason Williams during the first half. Sensley, who didn't start for the first time in his UH career, finished with 11 points.

Marco Garcia • Associated Press

But it's about basketball, and the Rainbow Warriors once again proved that close is not good enough in a 71-67 loss to Texas-El Paso last night.

A crowd of 4,853 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched Hawai'i drop its second consecutive home game to fall to 14-9 overall and 6-8 in the Western Athletic Conference. The last time a Hawai'i team lost back-to-back games in the Sheriff Center was during the 2000-01 season.

All nine losses this season have been by six points or fewer.

"It's frustrating because we have to execute (at the end of games) and we haven't really had problems with that in the past," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said.

UTEP improved to 21-7 overall and 11-4 in the WAC. The Miners beat the 'Bows twice this season, by a combined five points.

"I hope we never play them again," UTEP head coach Doc Sadler said. "Unless it's the finals of the WAC Tournament."

In both UTEP victories over Hawai'i, Omar Thomas provided what proved to be the winning points.

He scored four of his game-high 27 points in the final 39 seconds last night. Last month, he hit the game-winning free throws with five seconds remaining.

"I feel like I'm one of the go-to guys on this team, especially at the end of close games," Thomas said. "Anytime we need a big bucket, I want the ball."

The 'Bows, on the other hand, faltered in the final minute. The most crucial mistake was a turnover that came as a result of miscommunication.

With UTEP ahead 67-64, Hawai'i guard Deonte Tatum threw a pass out of bounds. The intended receiver, Julian Sensley, was not prepared for the pass because he was trying to call a timeout, as was Wallace.

"I was looking at (Wallace) and I saw him calling timeout, so as I was turning to tell Deonte, the ball was already in the air," Sensley said.

Wallace added: "The official that's supposed to be in contact with me was not looking and I was screaming timeout and he didn't call it. There's nothing else you can do."

Thomas and Giovanni St. Amant then went 4 of 4 on free throws to secure the win for UTEP.

But until those closing seconds, the 'Bows matched the Miners shot for shot.

Jake Sottos led a balanced Hawai'i attack with 15 points and four assists. Jeff Blackett added 12 points and five assists.

Sensley, who did not start for the first time in his UH career, contributed 11 points and five rebounds while playing a season-low 21 minutes.

"I do what ever I have to do to help this team win, if it's starting or coming off the bench," he said. "It's always good to start, but coming off the bench didn't hurt, either. I got to kind of see how they were playing certain people."

Sensley entered the game with 9:36 remaining in the first half and helped Hawai'i rally from a 27-16 deficit. He had seven points in the first half, including a two-handed dunk off an assist from Sottos.

"I think he played as hard as I've seen him play in a long time," Sadler said of Sensley. "I wish they would have started him because he came in at a time that they needed a lift and he gave it to them in the first half."

The Miners took a 33-32 lead into halftime, and the game stayed close throughout the second half.

The score was tied five different times in the second half, the last time at 62-62 with 3:56 remaining.

Both head coaches pointed to UTEP point guard Filiberto Rivera as the difference-maker in the closing minutes.

"He's a great point guard and he took over the game," Wallace said.

Sadler added: "You're not going to be any good without a point guard and I think we got the best point guard in the league and that's why we're winning."

Rivera finished with 15 points, six assists and zero turnovers.

His reverse layup with 2:49 remaining gave the Miners a 65-62 lead it would not relinquish.

The 'Bows cut it to 65-64, but Thomas responded by sinking a short jump shot after making a difficult spinning move through the Hawai'i defense.

"Omar is just good," Wallace said. "He knows how to score."

Sadler added: "That's Omar every night. We're just fortunate to have him on our team."

After Tatum's ill-fated pass, Thomas made two free throws to give UTEP an insurmountable 69-64 lead with 18.3 seconds left.

Hawai'i committed a season-low four turnovers, but it all came in the game's closing minutes.

For most of the game, the 'Bows were able to burn the UTEP defense with several layups off crisp passes. However, Hawai'i was just 3 of 15 from 3-point range.

"We just have to keep fighting," Sottos said. "It's frustrating because we all want to win."

The 'Bows are scheduled to depart for Tulsa, Okla., today. They will play WAC road games at Tulsa on Friday and then at Rice on Sunday.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.

• • •