YOU have to wonder about the mental stability of a program that put itself in the position of having to beat Rice University to secure a spot in the league tournament. Season is still salvageable
for RainbowsThe Owls are so bad they lost to teams like Pennsylvania, Nicholls State, South Florida and Mount St. Mary's during the regular season.
So why is the University of Hawaii -- a team once ranked No. 21 nationally -- up by only four points with 14:39 remaining in a game the Rainbows eventually won by 19?
What happened along the way that had the Rainbows entering last night's Western Athletic Conference matchup with a one-game lead over this opponent that has won only six times all season?
And is Hawaii mentally tough enough to not only handle fast-rising Tulsa University tomorrow night at home, but to play well on the road at San Jose State and Fresno State next week?
Veteran head coach Riley Wallace would like to believe his team survived all those bad breaks intact, and is ready to run the table like Jackie Gleason did to Paul Newman in "The Hustler."
He still has a positive outlook, even though there are plenty of signs this team lost that loving feeling minutes after stunning No. 2 Kansas on national television nearly two months ago.
THE Rainbows have had several outtakes since producing that highlight reel against the Jayhawks. First, Hawaii gave San Diego State half of its four conference wins this season.
Second, Texas Christian University proved its worth by first beating Hawaii on its home court, and then drilling the Rainbows by 42 points back in Texas.
And third, Hawaii was smoked by 15 points at home against a Fresno State team that had nearly as many suspensions as eligible players when they first met.
That's why it's way too early to say the old Rainbows are back, even though they did manage to win consecutive games for the first time in 1998.
To make it three in a row, point guard Anthony Carter can't afford to shoot 2-for-12 from the field and commit five turnovers.
Post players Michael Robinson and Erin Galloway must continue to make their presence felt from the opening tip to the last tick.
One bright spot last night was Robinson. Fans can talk all they want about the guard tandem of Carter and Alika Smith, but the Rainbows' long-range fortunes rest in Mr. Robinson's neighborhood.
The play of Galloway -- particularly with Eric Ambrozich's recent drop-off in production -- also is critical to the Rainbows' postseason opportunities.
The junior college transfer brought down the house last night after he weaved his way up court and finished the break with authority. The slam and the foul culminated a 14-2 run that raised the Rainbows' hopes that all could be right with the world once more.
BUT before UH fans start walking the road to the Final Four, it's up to the Rainbows to prove they are worthy of any consideration.
Not only does Hawaii need to finish with no worse than a .500 record in WAC play, the Rainbows must advance to at least the semifinals of the league tournament next month in Las Vegas to hope for an NCAA invitation.
Granted, that's a pretty tall order for a team that lost four of five conference games earlier this month. But it's not beyond the realm of possibility.
Smith looked like his old self last night, hitting 7-for-11 from the field en route to a game-high 20 points. Robinson had 14 points and Galloway grabbed eight rebounds. The two also combined for five blocked shots.
But the next three games are the real test. Win at least two of those, and maybe the Rainbows can salvage something from a season that held so much promise early on.
Lose two of three, and the likelihood of realizing that promise disappears. The Rainbows have to ask themselves, "How did we get here?" If they can answer that question, they still might be able to get there from here.
Paul Arnett has been covering sports
for the Star-Bulletin since 1990.
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