Forward Roderick Flemings took it as a chest-swelling compliment when people said that last night was the best he's looked for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team.

They meant his play.

He meant his shoes.

Maybe they went hand-in-hand or, in this case, foot-in-foot, as he propelled the Rainbow Warriors to a second-half surge and 78-70 victory over Prairie View A&M.

Nineteen of Flemings' career-high 22 points came in the Warriors' 49-point second half and he added a game-high 13 rebounds as UH, which had not led in the game until the second half, went above .500 for the first time this season at 3-2.

It was a game that also marked the debut of his straight-from-the-factory, online purchased, multi-colored, size 15 adidas. "Rainbow Warrior edition," Flemings called them.

Coincidence?

"No," Flemings maintained. "It was the shoes. Definitely the shoes. I felt lighter. I felt better."

Though Flemings has been the 'Bows' scoring leader, averaging 15.8 points per game going into last night, and the most athletic presence on the floor, he had yet to really take over a game or show more than flashes of the sustained brilliance that his much-hyped arrival had portended.

Much of it, undoubtedly, because of the sprained right ankle suffered before the opening of camp. Sparingly used in practice, little by little, Flemings has been coming along to the point where he and the coaches say he has progressed to "about 80 percent" back to health.

In the process, he's begun to fit into the offense and comfort zone of his teammates. "We're learning to play with each other," as head coach Bob Nash put it.

Last night they — and a Stan Sheriff Center gathering of 3,090 — learned what Flemings can be capable of when approaching full speed. "His run was our run; he fueled us a lot," said sidekick Bill Amis who had 16 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots on this rare night of UH matching double-doubles.

Shaking off a tentative first half in which he was hesitant elevating on a dunk attempt, Flemings turned it loose in the second half. "I was playing too soft at first," he acknowledged. Thereafter, he popped jump shots and drove inside with abandon. The UH big men bore inside, earning baskets and places in UH's second-half parade (19 of 25) to the free-throw line.

With each slashing drive and soaring rebound came a spike of confidence for Flemings that was palpable. "As I got my confidence going, I was knocking shots down," Flemings said. "It was the best I've felt (so far) this year."

And how much were the shoes?

"About $175," Flemings said. "But I paid to have them shipped in a hurry."

Just in time, it turned out, to help him look his best for the 'Bows.

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