5 straight for UH

Luettgerodt and Nash combine for 31 points as the Rainbows win without Gueye

Even with its top big man out of action, the Hawaii basketball team had little trouble extending its winning streak with a 66-53 win over Tennessee-Martin last night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Hawaii    UTM 66 53 Next Up at NMSU on Thursday

With forward Ahmet Gueye's knee continuing to bother him, Riley Luettgerodt helped make sure the Rainbow Warriors avoided a post-Rainbow Classic letdown in his first career start.

Luettgerodt led the Rainbows with a season-high 17 points and 13 rebounds, the most for a UH player this season, as a crowd of 4,127 watched the Rainbows improve to 9-4 to end a six-game homestand.

Gueye, a senior co-captain and UH's leading rebounder (7.6 per game) and second leading scorer (11.8 points), sat out Wednesday's practice and didn't suit up for yesterday's game.

"I was concerned with Gueye out," UH coach Riley Wallace said. "I've used the small lineup before, but I haven't started the small lineup to go a whole ballgame. So there was a little anxiety in my stomach before the game."

Luettgerodt started at small forward, with Bobby Nash sliding into the post at power forward and easing Wallace's mind with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Luettgerodt had been one of the Rainbows' top reserves this season and made a smooth transition into the starting five.

"I just got comfortable and started playing," Luettgerodt said. "Just a lot of balls seemed to bounce my way ... and I took shots when I was open."

Hawaii will take a five-game winning streak into the start of Western Athletic Conference play next week. The Rainbows open the league schedule on the road on Jan. 4 at New Mexico State.

"The right kind of game for us after the Rainbow Classic and before we go on the road," Wallace said.

The swelling in Gueye's surgically repaired knee caused him to sit out practice on Wednesday and miss his first game of the season.

"It was good he could rest and that we win tonight and he'll be back and ready for New Mexico State we assume," Wallace said.

Tennessee-Martin (3-11) lost its fourth straight and will spend an extra day enjoying their visit before resuming its Ohio Valley Conference schedule.

Even with Gueye out, Hawaii won the rebounding battle 45-36 and the Rainbows used a balanced attack to lead by as many as 22 in the second half.

P.J. Owsley, Matt Gibson and Matt Lojeski scored nine points each, with Lojeski dishing a team-high seven assists.

Although UH was in control throughout the game, it wasn't always pretty as the Rainbows committed 21 turnovers. But UT Martin reciprocated with 19 turnovers and 34.4 shooting from the floor.

Luettgerodt, meanwhile, made seven of his 11 shots from the field to pace the Rainbows.

"I thought (Luettgerodt) really stepped in and gave a great effort," UT Martin coach Bret Campbell said. "I talked to our guys before the game and said usually somebody's going to step up in replacement of a starter and sure enough he did tonight."

The Rainbows steadily built a controlling lead early in the game and were up by as many as 15 on their way to a 39-26 cushion at halftime.

Lojeski had nine points at the break, with Nash and Luettgerodt adding eight each. All eight UH players who entered the game in the first half scored.

UT Martin closed to nine on Zerek Knight's steal and layup with 16:23 left. But Hawaii scored the next 11 points and led by 20 on Gibson's driving jumper to beat the shot clock with 10:50 left.

The Skyhawks didn't get closer than 13 the rest of the way as Wallace cleared the bench in the final minutes.

Knight led the Skyhawks with 12 points.

"We're not a very effective offensive team and it showed in the shooting percentages," Campbell said. "Our guys will compete and play hard but the execution part of it continues to haunt us night in and night out."

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