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POSTED: Wednesday, December 31, 2008

One player couldn't get his game going. Another was there to pick up the slack.

               

     

 

 

HAWAII 78 PEPPERDINE 70                 NEXT UP         vs. Boise State on Saturday

Lasha Parghalava shot his way out of a season-long slump with a career-high 25 points to carry Hawaii to a 78-70 win over Pepperdine in the consolation championship of the 45th Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Parghalava's 7-for-10 performance - including 5-for-7 on 3-pointers - helped make up for a season-low three-point night from forward Roderick Flemings, who was out of sorts from a game-long battle with foul trouble.

The Georgian guard single-handedly eclipsed the previous team high in treys (four) this season. UH (8-4) finished 6-for-14 from beyond the arc. Forward Bill Amis added 16 points and Petras Balocka 11.

“;I felt good,”; said Parghalava, a junior college transfer who came into the game shooting 20.8 percent (10-for-48) on 3-pointers. “;We won, that's all that matters. We still have to get better for our (Western Athletic) conference. I know I can shoot, but it's my first year as a Division I player and I know I can get better.”;

Pepperdine (2-13) came into the tournament on a 11-game losing streak and hadn't beat a Division I opponent all season. But Buffalo needed a game-winning basket in overtime to beat the Waves and the orange-clad visitors topped Coppin State on their own buzzer-beater in the consolation semifinals.

The Waves proved they weren't satisfied going home with just one tourney win and matched Hawaii shot for shot in the first half.

They stuck in a zone defense for much of the game and Flemings couldn't afford to get his aggressive, offensive-rebounding game going with the foul trouble.

“;Refs took me out of it, man, took me out of it,”; said Flemings, who scored in double figures every other game this season. “;But I was happy for Lasha, he had a good game. He needs to keep having good games. That's what I was happy for, other guys got going. It was still a good night.”;

Nash pointed to a successful team concept as for the reason the Rainbows played through their top player's struggles.

“;We always thought we were a good team, we're not a star-system team where we just rely on one guy,”; Nash said. “;The way our offense is structured, anybody can step up at any time. Rod ... was still a factor - they had to guard him, be aware of him.”;

Nash went with the same starting lineup that produced a 26-point rout of George Washington in Monday's consolation semifinal, with former reserves Hiram Thompson and Paul Campbell as starters.

This time, though, the Rainbows came out flat and the Waves hustled for second-chance points to go up 14-7.

Parghalava stepped into the game, quickly hitting three 3-pointers - already the most by any UH player in a game this season - and a tough fadeaway to tie things up at 29.

Pepperdine shot 50 percent in the first half and took a 39-38 lead into the break. UH shot 52.2 percent for the game.

The Waves hung around in the second half and pulled to within 55-51 on a Michael Thompson layin with 7 minutes left.

But Parghalava bailed out his teammates again with a banked 3-pointer and a four-point play shortly thereafter to put the 'Bows up 66-54 with 3:42 left. It was enough to put the Waves away.

“;(Hawaii) played really well in the second half, I think we ran out of gas a little bit,”; Pepperdine coach Tom Asbury said. “;We didn't have an answer for 5 (Parghalava). He banks in a 3, makes another 3 and we foul him on it. I mean, that's bad luck there.”;

 

Third place

Vermont 84, Colorado 59

The Catamounts (8-4) weren't satisfied with heading back to New England with anything less than a winning Classic record.

Cats guard Mike Trimboli lit up the Buffaloes (7-5) with 24 points on 8-for-9 shooting, including 4-for-4 on 3-pointers. Forward Marqus Blakely added 16 points - including a thunderous two-hand slam over a hapless Buffs defender - and six rebounds.

 

Seventh place

Coppin State 59, George Washington 53

The Eagles (2-10) snapped a 10-game losing streak behind 16 points from Tywain McKee and 14 from Sam Coleman.

Coppin State took a 14-point halftime lead and held off the Colonials' late surge.

GW (6-5) went 0-3 in the Classic and got nothing from their top player, Rob Diggs. 

Hawaii 78, Pepperdine 70

Waves (2-14)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

FG-A	FT-A	RB	PF	PTS	A	TO	MIN
Thompson	1-8	4-4	0	1	6	0	3	30
Darby	5-9	2-4	8	3	12	0	2	32
Moore	3-4	0-0	8	4	6	0	3	33
Bell	4-12	2-2	5	3	12	3	3	25
Jackson	6-8	4-4	0	4	18	2	2	22
Suttle, Jr.	1-8	2-2	2	1	5	0	0	18
Tucker	0-5	0-0	1	1	0	2	0	14
Hornbuckle	3-5	3-6	1	3	11	1	0	19
Agre	0-1	0-0	1	2	0	0	0	7
Team			1
Totals	23-60	17-22	27	22	70	8	13	200

 

Rainbow warriors (7-4)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

FG-A	FT-A	RB	PF	PTS	A	TO	MIN
Mayen	3-5	0-0	1	1	7	0	2	21
Amis	7-9	2-3	5	3	16	3	4	27
Campbell	1-2	0-0	6	0	2	1	0	11
Thompson	1-5	4-4	3	4	6	4	2	28
Flemings	1-4	1-1	2	4	3	3	4	26
Nitoto	2-3	0-0	2	2	4	1	3	16
Balocka	2-7	7-8	7	1	11	4	4	28
Parghalava	7-10	6-7	0	3	25	0	1	28
Adams	0-1	4-4	5	1	4	1	0	15
Team			6
Totals	24-46	24-27	37	19	78	17	21	200

Key - fg-a: field goals made-attempted; ft-a: free throws made-attempted; rb: rebounds; pf: personal fould; pts: total points; a: assists; to: turnovers; min: minutes played.

Halftime - Pepperdine 39, Hawaii 38. Regulation - Hawaii 78, Pepperdine 70.

3-point goals - Pepperdine 7-23 (Jackson 2-4, Hornbuckle 2-4, Bell 2-6, Suttle, Jr. 1-5, Tucker 0-1, Thompson 0-3), Hawaii 6-14 (Parghalava 5-7, Mayen 1-3, Flemings 0-1, Adams 0-1, Balocka 0-2).

Steals - Pepperdine 10 (Bell 3, Thompson 2, Hornbuckle 2, Darby, Jackson, Tucker), Hawaii 4 (Parghalava, Nitoto, Thompson 2). Blocked shots - Pepperdine none, Hawaii 2 (Flemings, Adams).

Officials - Bill Gracey, Shawn Lehigh, Todd Apo. Attendance - 2,611.