RUSTON, La. — The University of Hawai‘i men’s basketball dropped its fifth straight game with a 69-62 loss to Louisiana Tech yesterday at the Thomas Assembly Center. Hawai‘i fell to 11-17 overall and 7-8 in the Western Athletic Conference. The
RUSTON, La. — The University of Hawai‘i men’s basketball dropped its fifth straight game with a 69-62 loss to Louisiana Tech yesterday at the Thomas Assembly Center. Hawai‘i fell to 11-17 overall and 7-8 in the Western Athletic Conference.
The game had no bearing on the conference standings as the Rainbow Warriors and Bulldogs were already locked into the fifth and ninth spots, respectively, in next week’s WAC Tournament. Each team however was looking to end its losing ways.
Hawai‘i’s struggles in Louisiana continued with its sixth loss in seven all-time visits to Ruston. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs (5-23, 2-13 WAC) picked up just their second win in 15 conference games this year, while also snapping a four-game slide.
Matt Gibson scored a team-high 22 points for Hawai‘i, before fouling out with a little more than one minute remaining.
Bill Amis added 13 points and six rebounds, while Riley Luettgerodt finished with 10.
Dwayne Lathan posted a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds and Kyle Gibson added 20 points to lead the Bulldog charge.
The loss spoiled a milestone night for senior Bobby Nash. Nash became the 14th player in school history, and the second this year, to reach 1000 career points when he drained a three-pointer less than two minutes in for UH’s first points of the game. Nash joined fellow senior Matt Gibson, who accomplished the feat last month versus Nevada.
It was a close game throughout with Hawai‘i leading the majority of the contest. A late Bulldog surge put them up, 60-55, with a little more than a minute remaining. Hawai‘i responded by scoring five points in a five-second span to tie the game, 60-60, with 54 seconds remaining.
The Bulldogs, however, went back up on a Kyle Gibson three-point play moments later and sealed the game by scoring nine of the game’s final 11 points.
Louisiana Tech buried seven straight free throws in the final 44 seconds and finished 30-of-35 from the line for the game. The Bulldogs also rebounded the ‘Bows, 35-28, and forced 20 turnovers, one short of UH’s season-high.
UH closes out its regular-season at 7 p.m. MST, tomorrow, at New Mexico State.
