Sometimes the cost of doing business makes you look bad. When you play really hard for 40-plus minutes, you can be prone to mistakes in overtime that make it look like you’re dogging it when really you’re just dog-tired.
That’s what it was for the Rainbow Warriors on Tuesday. The team with hearts so big you fear they might break the magnifying glass, like that of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
In a semifinal game of the Diamond Head Classic the Rainbows nearly swiped one from the No. 11 team in the country, Wichita State.
UH had control, up 77-74 with a minute left in OT. But an ill-advised foul here, a bad inbounds pass there and a missed block out did in Hawaii.
Normally those are unpardonable sins — and, yes, there’s no doubt they cost UH the game. But those are fatigue plays, and the kind where a more battle-tested group like Wichita State will take full advantage.
This was a game in which Hawaii was supposed to be crushed by 20 or 30 points. But that was before all the turmoil of UH being investigated by the NCAA, its coach fired and its established star fleeing in anticipation of suspension.
These new Rainbows, the ones with the growing hearts? Not too many folks I know — even some with objective perspectives and decent basketball minds — counted these guys out before it started Tuesday.
If the Shockers were allowed to dictate pace and their shooters got in a rhythm and rained threes? Sure, then it might be ugly for UH. But after the way the Rainbows locked down Nebraska in the first round Monday not much seemed impossible for the ball-hawking ‘Bows.
The atmosphere was electric from the tip, bringing us as close to the vibe of back when when the Rainbow Classic was special and UH had a real chance of knocking off big-name, iconic teams — and actually did it sometimes. It would’ve been the biggest holiday-time win since AC and Alika over Kansas, especially given the circumstances.
And who remembers a Hawaii team that played better on-ball defense? It has become the Rainbow Warriors’ signature, with Roderick Bobbitt leading the way.
Stefan Jankovic, the 6-11 sophomore, showed steady signs of improvement especially down the stretch. He’s tougher and more willing to mix it up underneath than we’d heard.
Sophomore forward Aaron Valdes continues to impress with a solid all-around game, spectacular around the basket and fairly deadly from the perimeter. Freshman guard Isaac Fleming showed up in a big way Tuesday, as well. Both scored 17 points.
UH is 9-4, including the huge win over Pitt that helped its confidence. It’s still too early to call them prime Big West contenders; conference play is a whole different animal. Also, that big NCAA shoe is still set to drop.
You can say the bottom line is Hawaii lost the game Tuesday. But, all things considered, this team is way ahead of where anyone had a reason to expect, even before all the chaos.
Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.
