LIHU‘E — Riding a five-game winning streak into their season finale, the Rainbows couldn’t complete the improbable closing stretch to end with a winning conference record. Fresno State started hot and never let Hawai‘i into the game, coming away with
LIHU‘E — Riding a five-game winning streak into their season finale, the Rainbows couldn’t complete the improbable closing stretch to end with a winning conference record.
Fresno State started hot and never let Hawai‘i into the game, coming away with the 85-70 win, Saturday night in Los Angeles.
The defeat puts UH at 18-11 for the season and 8-8 in the Western Athletic Conference, tied for fifth place.
Fresno State sits in seventh place at 14-16, 6-10 in the WAC.
Zane Johnson led the ‘Bows with 21 points, shooting 8-of-14 from the floor, including four 3-pointers.
Bill Amis had 14 points and seven rebounds, while Joston Thomas had 10 points and seven boards.
Jeremiah Ostrowski scored nine and had three assists, while Trevor Wiseman had seven points and three boards. Vander Joaquim had six points and two rebounds in just 16 minutes of action, facing foul trouble. Bo Barnes rounded out the scoring with three points.
Fresno State was led by Kevin Olekaibe’s 17 points, while Greg Smith dominated the paint, going for 16 points and 16 rebounds. Garrett Johnson had 11 and Bracken Funk had seven points while blocking four shots.
Fresno State took command of its home finale from the get-go, racing out to a quick double-digit lead and going up 29-12 at the eight-minute mark of the opening half.
It was able to hold on to thatcomfortable margin the rest of the way, dominating the glass and knocking down shots. The Bulldogs outrebounded the ‘Bows by a 43-30 margin, while shooting 7 for 12 from three-point range and over 47 percent (26-of-55) from the field on the night.
UH shot relatively well at almost 46 percent (27-of-59) from the field, but was just 6 for 17 from three-point range and couldn’t make the push necessary to pick up what would have been a sixth straight victory and its 10th in 12 games.
Johnson finishes the regular season as the team’s leading scorer (15.8 ppg) and has made 94 3-pointers on the year, shooting 42.7 percent beyond the arc. He is three 3-pointers shy of the school single-season record of 97, set by Michael Kuebler. Johnson also leads the team in minutes (34.0).
Joaquim is the team’s top glass cleaner, swiping 8.2 rebounds a game, while Amis was a close second (7.5), also second in scoring average (15.1) in the 19 games he played after returning from injury.
Amis also averages more than two blocks a game and leads the rotation players in shooting at 55.4 percent.
With the regular season coming to a close, the WAC Tournament opens Wednesday in Las Vegas. The ‘Bows will be the No. 5 seed and take on No. 8 San Jose State (15-14, 5-11) in Wednesday’s first-round game, slated for 12 p.m. PT (10 a.m. HT).
No. 1 seed Utah State (28-3, 15-1) and No. 2 Boise State (19-11, 10-6) get double byes into the semifinal round.
No. 3 New Mexico State (15-16, 9-7) and No. 4 Idaho (18-12, 9-7) each get a bye into the quarterfinals.
No. 6 Nevada (12-18, 8-8) and No. 7 Fresno State play the second game, Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. PT (12:30 p.m. HT).
