Box Score

MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Hawaii men's basketball team concluded its 2009-10 campaign with a 78-69 loss to Idaho Saturday night at the Cowan Spectrum. The Rainbow Warriors ended the season 10-20 overall and 3-13 in the Western Athletic Conference.

 

For the second straight game UH fell victim to the long ball. Idaho's Steffan Johnson poured in 28 points, including eight 3-pointers, the most ever by a UH opponent. For the game, the Vandals shot 14-of-27 from behind the arc.

 

Hawai`i lost despite an inspired effort. Roderick Flemings, making his final appearance as a Rainbow Warrior scored a game-high 29 points. Fellow senior Petras Balocka recorded his fifth double-double of the season and eighth of his career with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, sophomore Leroy Lutu matched his career-high with 12 points.

 

UH came out strong and lead by as many as five points, including a 27-22 lead with less than five minutes left in the first half. But the Vandals ended on a 13-5 run to take a 35-32 lead into the locker room.

 

The 'Bows continued to hang tough in the second half and enjoyed the lead on a trio of occasions. The turning point, however, came with a little less than eight minutes remaining. UH tied the score, 54-54 on a Lutu free throw. But Idaho then hit four straight 3-pointers, including three by Johnson, to spur a 16-5 run. That run put the Vandals up by double-digits and all but buried UH's hopes for an elusive road victory. UH ended the season winless on the road (0-9) for the first time since 1999.

 

Aside from Flemings and Balocka, two other Rainbow Warriors played their last game for UH. Center Paul Campbell finished with four points and six rebounds, while forward Brandon Adams had two points and nine rebounds UH's fifth senior, forward Adhar Mayen, did not play due to illness, ending a string of 76 straight appearances.

 

The 'Bows, who finished ninth in the conference, entered the game with an outside chance at making next week's WAC Tournament. The 'Bows were officially eliminated from contention in the first half of their game with Idaho when eighth-place Boise State defeated San Jose in an earlier game.