When Dominic Waters tossed up a wild 3-point shot attempt last night, University of Hawai'i basketball coach Riley Wallace just sat there and grimaced.

When passes went awry or Riley Luettgerodt missed open shots, Wallace merely rolled his eyes. Slowly.

No shrill screams to wake the dead. No vigorous jabbing of the index finger or aggravated stomping of the feet. None of the histrionics that we've come to expect over the past 20 years. No sudden movements.

And, not by choice, either. "Every muscle in my body ached from heaving so much that I couldn't have gotten up and done anything if I had to," a bench-bound Wallace admitted after a 36-hour bout with flu-like symptoms.

Luckily, Wallace didn't have to do much more than play courtside spectator in a 72-52 blowout of San Jose State.

But it really wasn't left to luck. Not by a long shot. Associate head coach Bob Nash, who ran practice Tuesday and Wednesday, took care of the defensive-oriented game plan. He mixed scout team and starters to give practice some variety and more players looks.

Nash provided the instruction and inspiration and the Rainbow Warriors (11-9) took care of the execution to end a three-game losing streak and escape last place in the Western Athletic Conference at 2-5.

On a night when a sign in the crowd implored the 'Bows to "Give 'um licking," UH was up to the task with a 24-0 first-half run during which San Jose was 0-of-14 shooting to take both the Spartans (2-17) and any pretense of drama out of this one early.

Thus, the 'Bows avoided what would have been their worst WAC start since 1998-99 and, for a night at least, looked more like the team they were supposed to have been on the road.

Truth be told, Wallace should have been home watching this one on K5 just like everybody else. And, with just 3,719 in the Stan Sheriff Center, that's where the crowds must have been, around their TV sets.

But not Wallace. "Joan (his wife) tried to get me to stay home but no way," Wallace said. "Not with (just) 11 more (games) to go. I was gonna find a way to be there."

And, Wallace wasn't the only one. Bobby Nash, son of the associate head coach, suffering some of the same symptoms as Wallace, bolted from the bench area in the second half on an emergency run to the locker room, only to return later.

"I did what I could to try and help the team," said Nash, who scored 10 points, one of four 'Bows in double figures. "We needed this game."

And they needed it to play out like the laugher it was.

Just ask Wallace, who for the first time in days, could say, "Now, I feel a little better."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.