The Hawai’i men’s basketball team’s 68-66 loss at UC Davis on Thursday will be known not just as the “one that got away,” but perhaps also as the “ones” (plural) that got away.
The Warriors missed a potential game-tying layup with two seconds remaining and then a point-blank putback as time expired as the Aggies held on to improve to 12-8 overall and 6-3 in the Big West Conference. Junior forward Harry Rouhliadeff came off the bench to score a career-high 21 points and grab seven rebounds for UH, which fell to 12-7, 4-4.
TY Johnson made the second of two free throw attempts with 7.5 seconds left to give UC Davis a 68-66 lead. Marcus Greene took the ensuing inbounds pass and raced up the left side of the court, driving to the basket and missing a left-handed layup with two ticks on the clock. Warriors center Tanner Christensen jumped, caught the rebound on the right side and put the ball back up in one motion, but it was short off the backboard and glanced off the rim as time expired.
It was stunning end to a back-and-forth game that saw both teams struggle to establish full control. The score was tied seven times and there were seven lead changes, and neither team led by more than eight points.
The last eight-point lead came four minutes into the second half, and was short-lived. Connor Sevilla’s free throw put the Aggies ahead, 38-30, but Tom Beattie answered with a putback to ignite a 15-3 run capped by Rouhliadeff’s layup to give Hawai’i a 45-41 lead with 12:06 remaining.
The Warriors kept the four-point lead at 51-47 on Christensen’s slam dunk off Aaron Hunkin-Claytor’s nifty dish at the nine-minute mark, but Debruhl responded with a free throw to spark a 13-4 run culminating in Sevilla’s transition 3-pointer from the right wing to put UC Davis ahead, 60-55, with 4:35 left.
UH then answered with a final 11-5 push to grab the lead back at 66-65 on Christensen’s free throw with 52 seconds remaining. But Johnson gave the Aggies the lead for good at 67-66 with a step-back 20-foot jumper from near the top of the key with 0:33 on the clock, then sank the second of two free throws with 7.5 ticks left for the final margin.
The Warriors continue their road trip with a game Saturday at UC Irvine.
Big West Conference Standings
UC Irvine 7-1
UC San Diego 6-2
UC Davis 6-3
UC Riverside 5-3
Cal State Northridge 5-3
UC Santa Barbara 4-4
HAWAI’I 4-4
Cal State Bakersfield 4-4
Long Beach State 3-5
Cal State Fullerton 1-8
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 0-8