Last night took care of any doubts about what needs to top the University of Hawai'i's shopping list for basketball recruiting.

A grim 70-59 loss to New Mexico State in the final regular season game of the year underlined in bold the Rainbow Warriors' personnel shortcomings of the current campaign and the crying needs for the next one.

Twenty-one turnovers and 32-percent shooting — 26.3 percent from 3-point range — told the story of this game and, indeed, the season for all who cared to look.

And many in the Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 4,698 couldn't, leaving early.

For want of an honest-to-Dr. James Naismith point guard and a consistent shooter these 'Bows coulda been contenders in the Western Athletic Conference, surely much better off than the 13-16 (5-11 conference) record they take to the WAC Tournament Tuesday in Reno, Nev.

With either of one of them the 'Bows wouldn't be relegated to the so-called "pigtail" play-in game befitting the eighth-place team in a nine-team conference and wouldn't be all but assured of back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in 21 years. Making good use of the two available scholarships — and more if some players are enticed to leave — will be key.

Not until the waning moments last night were the 'Bows seemingly able to buy a 3-point basket, having made but 2 of their first 12 attempts. This against the worst defensive team in the WAC. Time and again the 'Bows were lucky to get off an attempt before the shot clock expired.

The absence of a genuine outside shooting threat, the kind that could have broken another befuddling 2-3 zone and scuttled the diamond-and-one that held Roderick Flemings to a conference season-low nine points, half of his average, was particularly painful last night.

But so, too, was the lack of a point guard on a night when UH coughed up 21 turnovers — 14 in the first half — which the Aggies recycled into 28 points. Most of those points coming with Jahmar Young, the WAC's top scorer (18.5 per game) on the bench the whole first half due to a team "academics policy."

Hard to believe that once upon a not-so-distant time the 'Bows not only had guards aplenty themselves, but sometimes too many for their own good.

To look down the UH bench last night and see Tes Whitlock, he of the 1995 buzzer-beater that stunned Brigham Young, now a student manager two seats from the end was to be reminded of days when crowds cheered long-range shooters. And not like last night when the applause was often relief and sometimes mocking after UH would end a considerable drought with a basket.

Barring a major surprise in Reno, the 'Bows' run is going to end early this season. More time for the coaches to invest in recruiting, where there are no doubts about what needs to top the shopping list.

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