Heartbreak in Reno

Hawaii loses to No. 15 Nevada after a pair of potential game-winning shots are waved off

RENO, Nev. » Many a visitor has left Reno lamenting the end of a winning streak.

Nevada    Hawaii 69 68 Next Up vs. LaTech on Saturday

Few have seen it happen as painfully as the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors did last night in their 69-68 loss to the 15th-ranked Nevada Wolf Pack.

After a 5-minute discussion, game officials waved off what had appeared to be the go-ahead basket by Ahmet Gueye with 5.8 seconds left in the game. Moments later a potential game-winning layup by P.J. Owsley was waved off after another review.

"From my opinion right now, I really thought we had the game," said Gueye. "We played hard and did everything the coaches told us to do."

Although the three-game winning streak Hawaii (13-10 overall, 4-6 Western Athletic Conference) brought into the game is gone, Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said last night's effort was another step in the right direction for a team that's already pointing at the conference tournament in March.

The Rainbows return home today after splitting a road trip that began with a win at Fresno State last Thursday.

"We know we're not going to win the WAC with six losses. We want to get better before that tournament and make people believe we can win it," Wallace said.

"This is one of the toughest trips in the history of the WAC. Nevada's been good the last three or four years and Fresno always got talent," he added. "To give yourselves a chance to win both of them, I'm very proud of my team. I told them to keep their heads up, that you have everything to be proud of, except losing, because you spilled your guts on the floor."

Gueye led the Rainbows with 21 points and 10 rebounds, matching the output by Nevada forward Nick Fazekas. Matt Lojeski added 13 points for Hawaii, while Matt Gibson scored 11 and Owsley came up with 10.

"That was big, Gueye being able to match Fazekas and neutralize that situation," Wallace said. "We want to make Fazekas work as hard as you can make him work, because he does tire."

Trailing 69-68, a steal by Lojeski with 36 seconds left gave the Rainbows possession of the ball and a chance at the go-ahead shot. However, the Wolf Pack had been whistled for just three team fouls to that point, meaning any non-shooting fouls would give Hawaii the ball inbounds rather than free throws.

Gueye was fouled with 20.5 seconds as he tried to make a move in the lane. On the ensuing possession, Gueye took a pass along the left baseline, but as he tried to move toward the basket he was fouled by Fazekas. Falling to the ground, Gueye threw the ball up toward the basket and the shot went in. The officials huddled and initially ruled the shot good for a 70-69 Hawaii lead.

"He was pulling me down and I shot the ball, taking a chance," Gueye said. "The ball went in. They called 'and-one,' then 5 minutes later they changed the call."

As the teams lined up for the free throw to complete the three-point play and Wallace signaled for a timeout, the officials huddled near the scorers' table for several minutes, then finally ruled the shot no good.

"(The officials said) that he wasn't in the act of shooting on the foul," Wallace said.

Officials Bill Gracey, Kelly Self and Brian Sorenson declined to comment, saying the play wasn't a rules interpretation.

"It's just heartbreaking," Lojeski said. "You think you're up, then you're down. I don't know how you can change a call like that. It's the first time I've actually cried in the locker room."

Wallace said he couldn't disagree with the ruling.

"I think they're right all the way," he said. "It's just how it happened that makes it bizarre.

"There was a lot of action when they fouled, and he's falling and throwing it up there," he added.

After all the discussion and two timeouts, the Rainbows inbounded the ball under their basket, but Gibson's jumper was partially blocked by Denis Ikovlev. Gueye grabbed the rebound, but his shot caromed off the backboard to Owsley, who laid it in as the buzzer sounded.

However, after viewing the replay, the officials ruled Owsley's shot came after the buzzer.

"The last one for sure, the light went off and then the release," said Wallace. "I knew that was right."

The Rainbow Warriors were in position to win because of a strong defensive effort in the second half. Nevada's Marcellus Kemp, who led all scorers with 23 points, scored Nevada's first 14 points of the second half, helping the Wolf Pack (21-2 overall, 9-1 WAC) to a 51-41 lead with 15:31 left in the game.

"That was the difference in the ballgame," said Wallace. "We couldn't make a run at that time, we just stayed right there."

However, Hawaii outscored Nevada 18-8 and rallied to tie the game at 59-59 with 7:39 to play. But two free throws by Fazekas, who scored 21 points, and a dunk by Kemp after a steal put Nevada back up 63-59.

"We just got to eliminate the little spurts when we don't play well, the little 5-minute spans where we allow teams to pull away," said Lojeski. "Then you try to come back and use all your energy, and it's too late."

Hawaii pulled back within a point on three occasions, on a 3-pointer by Bobby Nash with 2:22 left to make it 65-64, a short jumper by Owsley with 1:45 left to cut the margin to 67-66, then on a basket by Gueye with 49.3 left, just before the steal by Lojeski.

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