Box Score

BOISE, Idaho – The University of Hawai`i men's basketball team's quest for a postseason berth took a huge blow with an 82-63 loss to Boise State Thursday night at the Taco Bell Arena. The loss dropped the Rainbow Warriors (10-19, 3-12 WAC) into ninth-place in the Western Athletic Conference standings with one regular-season game remaining.

 

The top eight teams qualify for the WAC Tournament in Reno, Nev., March 11-13. The loss put UH one game behind the Broncos (14-16, 4-11 WAC), but not quite out of the picture yet. UH must win its regular-season finale at Idaho on Saturday then get help, including wins by San Jose State at Boise State and Nevada over Louisiana Tech, to qualify for the tournament.

 

The 'Bows entered Thursday's game controlling their own destiny. A win over the Broncos would have guaranteed UH a spot in the WAC Tournament. But Boise State went on a 3-point barrage to break open a tight game at halftime to keep their own WAC Tournament hopes alive.

 

Boise State shot 59 percent and buried eight 3-pointers after the break. For the game, the Broncos shot 54 percent while draining 11 3-pointers. Robert Arnold led Boise State with a game-high 19 points.

 

Leroy Lutu led UH with a career-high 12 points, while Adhar Mayen added 10. Paul Campbell chipped in nine points and nine rebounds for the 'Bows.

 

The first half was a close affair. The Broncos went on a 14-2 run, including 11 unanswered points, to take a nine-point lead, 30-21. The 'Bows, who led by three points on a couple of occasions, came back to cut the deficit to 33-30 by the break.

 

UH tied the score, 33-33, early in the second half. But the hot-shooting Broncos gradually pulled away, taking its first double-digit lead of the game at the 14:11 mark, before eventually building its lead to as many as 21 points with less than five minutes remaining.

 

UH will now conclude the regular-season with a must-win game at Idaho on Saturday, March 6. Tipoff is 5:05 p.m. PT (3:05 p.m. HT) at the Cowan Spectrum.