Nevels and Rainbows look to build a happy New Year

As the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team heads into 2014, guard Garrett Nevels served up a vivid reminder why it is a new year in more ways than one for these Rainbow Warriors.

For on a night when Norfolk State did its best to take the ‘Bows out of their game, it was Nevels who helped pull UH through to its third victory in a row, eighth in the last nine games and a

10-3 overall record Monday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Nevels scored 21 points in the ‘Bows’ 77-66 victory, and it was the way he did it that underlined a key difference between the current UH team and the one that limped to a 17-15 finish in 2012-13.

Nevels got 12 of his points from 3-point range on four-of-five shooting, often under buzzer-beating pressure.

"You saw the way he can put up the deep shots when it counts," head coach Gib Arnold said. "That’s what he gives us."

What Nevels also gave them was a start matching their best since the 2004-05 team, the third to the last of the Riley Wallace era.

For a while that was looking shaky. The ‘Bows trailed at halftime for the first time, 28-27, since Nov. 12 — 10 games ago — in large part because the Spartans (8-6) were able to take UH out of its high-speed transition game and force a slowed, halfcourt contest with a strong press and change-up on defenses.

As a result, at least eight times in the first half UH was forced to take shots with five seconds or less remaining on the shot clock. Nevels kept them in it by sinking two baskets with one second or less and another with eight seconds left in a 10-point first half.

"I mean, you have to make a play, you only have so much time," said Nevels, a junior college transfer. "So, I’m glad I was able to hit ’em, help us get some momentum and help us get the win."

Then, Nevels also helped spark the ‘Bows’ 11-4 opening spurt in the second half to 38-21 lead they never lost with two 3-pointers.

It was, in a microcosm, a reminder of the outside punch the ‘Bows so sorely lacked last season. It would also be, in Nevels’ third 20-point or better performance of the season, a reaffirmation of the timely shooting they have this year.

"That’s why it is so much fun to play with Garrett," said forward Christian Standhardinger. "They can’t just guard one (or two) guys this year."

Indeed, while the Spartans routinely doubled down on Isaac Fotu, limiting him to four points, Stanhardinger, who scored a game-high 29 points, did not have to shoulder the offensive load alone.

With one more nonconference game (Friday against Nebraska-Omaha) remaining before the start of Big West Conference play, Nevels gave the ‘Bows a reassurance that it should be a happy New Year, indeed.

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Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820