They're the key to playground games—21 and elimination. Of NBA championships and Olympic gold.

And they can grind a college basketball season into dust, brick by brick. Those 15 feet have been anything but free for the Hawaii men's basketball team.

Free-throw struggles have been the woeful trademark of the Rainbow Warriors (9-16) over their seven-game losing streak entering tomorrow's nonconference BracketBusters contest vs. Cal Poly (9-16) at 8 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.

For the past month, a collective mental block lodges in the cylinder when UH players step to the line. The Rainbows practice free throws in practice just about every day, and players often must make 10 straight before they're allowed to leave. For most of the 11 active 'Bows, it doesn't take terribly long to achieve the feat.

Once the lights go on, however ... poise and performance leave the building.

“;It's hard to put a finger on it,”; UH coach Bob Nash said. “;We shoot well in practice and for some reason we get to the game and all of a sudden our concentration or something goes wrong and we just don't shoot well. We shoot one at a time, we shoot two at a time, we shoot three at a time, we shoot 10 at a time. ...It's just a matter of, when you get in the game you gotta make them when the light's on and pressure's on.”;

“;Every practice. We make 'em all the time,”; agreed senior forward Roderick Flemings, UH's leader in free throws made and attempted (83-for-130, 64.6 percent). “;Then in the game, we just blow 'em, so we need to focus to get that together.”;

UH is 78-for-141 (55.3 percent) at the stripe over the losing streak, dropping the season average to 66.8 percent. Five of the seven losses during the skid might have swung UH's way had the Rainbows converted at a slightly higher clip at the line.

There was the 12-for-24 night at Louisiana Tech last week and the 8-for-17 outing at Nevada on Jan. 30. Both 66-60 losses were decided in the final minutes as UH's opponents delivered free throws under pressure, while the 'Bows turned as green as their road jerseys.

It hasn't been a home/away thing, either. UH went 14-for-24 at the Sheriff vs. New Mexico State on Jan. 21, making it just close enough for Jahmar Young to bury the game-winner at the buzzer in a 71-69 heartbreaker.

The good news (and also the most frustrating): The 'Bows know they have the potential to be better. The Rainbows ranked among the WAC leaders earlier this season at more than 70 percent.

“;I learned at a young age, they're called free throws for a reason,”; said senior forward Brandon Adams, a 64.3 percent foul shooter. “;They're free. You just have to make them. We just haven't been getting our mind-set, you know 'We gotta make it.' “;

Part of the problem is UH is without guards Dwain Williams (indefinite suspension) and Jeremy Lay (season-ending hernia), who shot 88.7 and 79.5 percent, respectively, before going inactive. Now that they're gone, the Rainbows have no reliable late-game closer at the stripe.

Of Williams, Nash said yesterday, “;The only comment I have on that is he's still on indefinite suspension.”;

Meaning the 11 active Rainbows have to find a way to make it happen. Flemings has actually shot 15-for-18 (83.3 percent) in the last two games, something that made the senior shake his head.

“;I can always shoot free throws,”; he said. “;I don't know what happened, man. This whole season I've been off at the line. ... As a team, our focus, stuff like that, is off for the game. We can shoot free throws better than that.”;

Point guard Hiram Thompson is the best active player at 75.3 percent, but has shot 4-for-9 over the streak as he's dealt with a dislocated left shoulder.

At the other end, forwards Petras Balocka (52.5 percent) and Paul Campbell (48.8 percent) and reserve guard Leroy Lutu Jr. (26.7 percent) have struggled all season.

Strangely, UH has played three of the top four free-throw shooting teams in the country this season in BYU (first, 77.5 percent), Utah State (second, 77.4), and St. Mary's (fourth, 76.9).