While there was a lot to like about the victory over UC Davis that hoisted the University of Hawaii atop the Big West Conference Saturday night, there were two brief incidents that also raised some concern going forward.

Amid all that the Rainbow Warriors did right in running their overall record to 13-5 and a league-leading 4-1, there are a couple of red flags that, you hope, will be soon corrected so they don’t become an impediment to the ’Bows staying there.

Specifically two technical fouls where the ’Bows lost their cool or common sense in a sometimes emotionally charged game.

On a night when first place was up for grabs against the defending conference tournament champion, the competitive juices were flowing and a less than stellar brand of officiating put both teams on edge.

That was as animated as we’ve seen a sideline-darting UH coach Eran Ganot in a long time and you wondered if his opposite number, UC Davis’ Jim Les, was going to blow a blood vessel.

But the way things are shaping up in the wide-open Big West this year there are going to be plenty of tight games with the stakes rapidly escalating and no guarantees as to the tenor or quality of the officiating.

From February on, the majority (six of 10) of UH’s games will be played on the road in less hospitable environments than the Stan Sheriff Center.

They are precisely the kind of games in which UH is going to have to prevail if it is to win the regular season, which carries the guarantee of at least an NIT bid and a top seed for the conference tournament, where the grand prize is an all-expenses-paid return to the NCAA Tournament.

The ’Bows were fortunate that the two technicals, which gifted the Aggies with four free throw opportunities (two were missed), didn’t come back to bite them in what became a 77-72 victory.

UH is 5-0 in games decided by five points or fewer. One reason they have prevailed in tight games is that they have not shot themselves in the extremities with bone-headed technical fouls, which is what made the two uncharacteristic technical fouls so glaring.

“We’ll have to look at what exactly happened to get those technicals, because when we’ve made this jump as a program, it’s coincided with our technical fouls dropping,” Ganot said afterward. “There’s something to be said about that, because good teams can win some games like that but you don’t have a chance to win big games or win championships with that. So there’s things we need to look at, but for that last eight minutes, our composure was nails.”

The most egregious one came with 8 minutes, 27 seconds remaining in the game and UH up 58-49. Sheriff Drammeh was at the baseline, attempting to save the ball for UH by throwing if off the Aggies’ Chima Moneke. But instead of bouncing it off Moneke’s body or legs from near point-blank range, he used a two-handed throw aimed at the opponent’s head, catching him square in the face and goggles.

The immediate perception was that it was calculated and unnecessary. And, if you are a spindly 160 pounds on a 6-foot, 3-inch frame, probably not the best of ideas. Had he tried it against Miami in the Diamond Head Classic, Drammeh might be still dining with a straw. (He did it later against Howard’s Kyle Foster, with no call made.)

At the time Saturday, it gave Drammeh his fourth foul and he eventually fouled out of the game with 2:47 remaining, which could have held wider consequences for UH had it been closer or gone to overtime.

The other incident was Jack Purchase’s carryover pique from a questionable offensive foul. His knee to TJ Shorts II in setting a screen for Drew Buggs with 49.6 seconds remaining in the first half resulted in the foul.

Shorts gave a World Cup-worthy flop to get the call, and appeared to say something to Purchase. The problem was Purchase reacted by tossing the ball at the prone Shorts.

At this point, the ’Bows have so much going for them that you’d hate to see the opportunity wasted.

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