They are the ants at the picnic, the dark cloud that won’t go away, the pesky cockroach you can’t seem to swat.

And, Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center, they were the party poopers on senior night, inflicting a deflating 64-61 defeat of the University of Hawaii.

They are, officially, California Polytechnic State University and, if that is a mouthful to say, well, the Mustangs have been quite the handful for the Rainbow Warriors to beat, too.

They are becoming the team in green that should wear black when they play UH.

Here we are not quite finished with the ‘Bows’ inaugural season in the Big West Conference and it looks like UH (17-12, 10-7) might have just found its first budding rivalry in the new conference.

Don’t look now, but here is somebody the ‘Bows can look at and instantly work up a lather, if not a vow for payback.

Never mind that most people can’t find San Luis Obispo, Calif., on a map without Google’s help, or that they know little about it or the Mustangs. This series has some serious promise as potential rivalries go.

Forget, too, that they have only played the ‘Bows all of five times and just four times in the past 13 seasons, they have used each of the last four occasions to infuriate and irritate.

Four seasons ago they pretty much spelled the end of then-head coach Bob Nash’s three-year tenure at UH, laying a 102-89 thumping on the ‘Bows in Manoa that demanded change.

Then, in Gib Arnold’s first season as Nash’s successor, there was that controversial 54-53 last-shot trimming of UH at Cal Poly, a loss that occupies a painful place in UH hearts to this day.

And, now, in UH’s arrival in the Big West, it was left to the Mustangs to lay on an 88-59 slap down in California. It was the ‘Bows’ most lopsided loss of the season and it was accomplished with a long-distance shooting exhibition of 11 3-pointers.

All of which set the stage for Saturday night, where the Mustangs sent the largest Stan Sheriff Center crowd of the season, an assembly of perhaps just under 9,000, home disappointed. On "White Out Night" it was an ending that left you blue.

In the process, the Mustangs dispatched the ‘Bows skidding into fifth place in the standings with one game, a road contest at Cal State Northridge, remaining.

Even on a night when the ‘Bows committed but three turnovers, a season low, they could not power past the Mustangs. Even in a determined effort to put a cap on the Mustangs’ outside shooters (7-for-17 from 3-point range), the ‘Bows could not seal the deal. The Mustangs always had an answer.

"I could see this becoming a good rivalry," said senior guard Jace Tavita, who will not be around to partake. "We always have tough games with them," Tavita said. "Over here and over there those guys are a tough team. They bring it every time and they compete. I would say that between them and Long Beach, it is always a dogfight. But they have got us more."

UH, however, has at least split with the 49ers.

"(Cal Poly) will be a fun rivalry game for years to come for Hawaii," said senior Hauns Brereton.

Especially when the ‘Bows win one.

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