ASSOCIATED PRESS The University of Hawaii's men basketball team took the 2002 Western Athletic Conference Tournament title yesterday with a 73-59 win over Tulsa. Among the celebrants, above, were Phil Martin, Carl English and Tony Akpan, from left, and Haim Shimonovich, right. At right, Hawaii's Predrag Savovic, named the tourney's most valuable player, savored the championship, which secured the team a March Madness berth in the NCAA tournament. Meanwhile, the UH Wahine basketball team fell just short of the women's WAC title, falling to Louisiana Tech, 53-50. For game stories, please see Sports.

UH fans
held their breath

Despite the big lead, they knew
Tulsa was a very dangerous foe

Game story

---

By Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.com

Ten points.

That was the lead the Rainbows had about 6 p.m. yesterday, near the end of the Western Athletic Conference championship game with the Tulsa Hurricane.

Was it enough to be comfortable, a trio of die-hard University of Hawaii basketball fans asked themselves over a table of now-cold, neglected pupus at the Eastside Grill.

"No! No, no, no, no," Keith Fujiyama said. "Tulsa's way too good a team."

"Every game has been a battle," agreed Cedric Chung. "That's what makes this special."

Chung and Fujiyama said they've missed only two home games this winning season for the Rainbows. A third friend at the table, Randy Bart, has made them all. Away games they're right here at a table in this sports-friendly bar, watching the plays on one of 14 televisions.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Marc Kynch, left, and Mike Bickson cheered at Eastside Grill yesterday as they watched the UH men's basketball team beat Tulsa for the WAC championship.

Across the state, many in Hawaii were caught up in March Madness and televisions were tuned to ESPN2 for the game. A couple of Honolulu friends of Fujiyama's even called from the mainland, reaching him on his cell phone as the final minutes were counting down.

Henry Blakstad had believed this year's team would go all the way from the very first game.

So had Marc Kynch.

But there are a few spinetingling moments of doubt before it was all over and planning for where to watch the NCAA tournament could begin.

In the past half of its final playoff game, its ticket to "The Big Dance," Hawaii lost a 16-point lead, dropping to only 3 points ahead before climbing back.

The score edged up to Hawaii's favor 71-59.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM The Kam family, left to right, Lucil, Amanda, Ciara and Wesley, watched the UH men's basketball team win the WAC championship yesterday at the Eastside Grill.

Still, the fans can't rest, can't take the win for granted.

"We were good. I think we're getting lucky now," Chung said.

Around them, another 150 or so Hawaii fans expressed their emotion with each play.

73-59.

This time it was a roar.

A few seconds later the game clock ran out.

"Oh, my God, it's magic," hollered Fujiyama.

"We've got it all," boomed Chung.

"This is better than Olympic gold," said Blakstad, who attended UH 1949-50.

Another UH reveler had a choice word for the UH team this year: "Unconscious."

"It's all good," said Mike Bickson, who was wearing a green football helmet and sipping a root beer float. "They're unconscious."