HILO — Tanner Christensen scored a layup off Tom Beattie’s assist with 4.6 seconds remaining Friday night to lift Hawai’i to a thrilling 64-61 men’s basketball exhibition victory over UH Hilo.
A vocal and heavily partisan crowd of about 800 at historic Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium watched Xavier transfer Gytis Nemeilksa score a game-high 14 points, Christensen add 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds and Beattie chip in with 12 points as the Warriors overcame almost a game-long deficit.
A Hail Mary attempt by the Vulcans from beyond halfcourt missed badly to the right as time expired.
“I thought that (game) was really good for us,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “UH Hilo has been really good, I’ve said how much respect I have for that program and they’re going to have a great year. So it was good going through that experience. Our execution the last minute and a half was our best minute and a half the whole game.”
The Vulcans took a 61-59 lead after Julio Montes II’s two free throws with 1:52 left, but Beattie sank two free throws to tie it at 61-61 with 0:46.6 showing on the clock.
After a Hilo miss on the ensuing possession, Hawai’i got the ball back and Beattie eventually drove down the right side of the lane, jump stopped, then found Christensen with a short pass to the opposite side of the basket. Christensen made the layup and the And-1 with 4.6 ticks remaining.
Hilo took an early 7-1 lead and was ahead for most of the first half, including a 29-24 advantage with 5:14 left after a 3-pointer by Montes from the right corner. But Nemeilksa sank a free throw with 3:30 remaining to ignite a 10-2 run to close out the half up 34-31.
Christensen scored a layup 90 seconds into the second half to stretch the lead to 38-33, but the Vulcans answered with an 11-4 run in the next six minutes to lead, 44-42.
The teams then traded leads over the next 10 minutes.
More to come.