Bob Nash is pleased with his team's fortitude in closing out recent basketball games with Idaho State and Iowa State.

But that doesn't mean the Hawaii coach wants tomorrow's meeting with Prairie View A&M to come down to a final possession at the Stan Sheriff Center.

“;In these last couple games we've given ourselves a chance to win. That's all you ask for if it's a tight ballgame,”; Nash said of the 67-64 (overtime) and 60-59 respective wins for the Rainbow Warriors.

“;I think if you play good, smart basketball throughout you don't necessarily want to put yourself in a situation where you gotta win it at the buzzer, but if it gets to that situation ... you have confidence that you have something on paper that we can now know we can draw up and run the play. And we'll believe in what we're selling and then it comes whether or not we execute.”;

The victories were refreshing in large part because of the close-quarters agony the Rainbows went through last year.

In games decided within three points, Hawaii went 1-3 and lost its only overtime game. Two of those losses were to start the year against San Diego and Illinois, setting a foul precedent that lingered for the rest of the 11-19 season.

“;We've had more of just a ... not gonna lose attitude at the end of the games,”; forward Bill Amis said. “;We know we're gonna win at the end, and we got that confidence now. Last year we lacked that confidence.”;

Nash figured things were bound to come around.

“;It just goes in a cycle—some years you don't, and some years you do,”; he said. “;Fortunate for us this year we've been able to win two very close ballgames. What that says is that we're starting to develop as a team. We're starting to recognize our strengths and going to those as we need it down the stretch.”;

The Prairie View Panthers of the Southwestern Athletic Conference have taken all of their losses on the road against Division I competition (including No.4 UCLA, Missouri and Wyoming). But all three of A&M's wins have come in routs against non D-I opponents.

“;They've been to places, a lot of places a lot tougher than where we've been,”; Nash said. “;They're not going to come in here with any fear of the University of Hawaii, and they shouldn't. We just gotta go out and do our jobs, execute, play as a team, and if that's good enough on that night, then it's going to be good enough. But if we think that we can just show up and beat teams, then we're setting ourselves up to not be successful.”;

Hawaii has never lost to a SWAC team in 11 games.

Forward/center Darnell Hugee has been the Panthers' top player and posted 23 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in the team's last game.

Roderick Flemings leads Hawaii at 15.8 points a game.