The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team will be playing in prime time for the final two nights of the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic, but it sure isn't because the Rainbow Warriors belong there.

Meanwhile, Colorado State, the team that ran roughshod over the 'Bows, 74-58, last night, will be consigned to the 11 a.m semifinal game tomorrow against Vermont, the other first-night winner.

If that doesn't make much sense, then neither does Hawai'i losing at home — and losing badly — to its hand-picked opponent.

Indeed, coming off a 7-25 season — 0-16 in the Mountain West Conference — and picked to finish eighth in a nine-team conference this year, the Rams shaped up as, well ...

"Where I'm from, North Dakota, when you are the team that plays the home team in the first game, we call that (being) fresh meat," said Colorado State coach Tim Miles. "Out here I call it being fresh mahimahi."

And the Rams, at 3-8, looked to be the blue plate special, losers of six in a row and all four of their road games this season.

"We'd been playing poorly," Miles acknowledged.

But guess who got hooked?

For the second year in a row, the 'Bows lost the opener to go immediately to the consolation round of their own tournament. Only this year it is worse, being the 45th and final go-round of the Rainbow Classic as the eight-team tournament, a time to show their best if there ever was one.

But after last year's 0-for-3 whiff in the Rainbow Classic, UH officials decided the 'Bows would play prime-time games — 7:30 p.m. tomorrow against George Washington and again at 5 p.m. Tuesday night against an opponent to be determined — lest they risk playing to an empty house and lagging boxoffice again.

Not that last night's turnout — 3,958 on hand and 2,299 no-shows — was overwhelming.

But, then, neither were the 'Bows with their worst showing since the fledgling first week of the season.

Against the Rams' 2-3 zone, UH shot 33 percent (13 percent from 3-point range) — and just 26 percent overall in the second half. Mainstays Petras Balocka and Lasha Parghalava were a combined 1 of 15. In addition, UH coughed up 18 turnovers.

Roderick Flemings, with 22 points, was the 'Bows' only scorer in double figures.

Meanwhile, CSU had all the answers and all the scorers with four players in double figures.

It would be rubbing salt in an old wound, this former nemesis from the old Western Athletic Conference victimizing the 'Bows one more time, to keep the upper hand, 23-21, in the series.

This one hurting most of all, underlining as it did that the 'Bows weren't ready for prime time in their own tournament.

Clearly it would have been a great night for a blackout.

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