With 15 minutes left in the game Friday night University of Hawaii guard Brandon Spearman crouched down near midcourt, looked his adversary in the eyes and slapped the Stan Sheriff Center floor resoundingly.

But long before that Spearman had made his presence known to the University of Montana and its star, Kareem Jamar, loudly announcing himself with a determined brand of defense.

Spearman, with an assist from backup Quincy Smith, held Jamar to 16 points, a season low, to help the Rainbow Warriors hold off the Grizzlies, 72-61.

On a night when Christian Standhardinger produced the eye-opening offensive explosion with a season-high 26 points and Isaac Fotu persevered with his injured right hand (small fracture) wrapped like a claw, Spearman provided a timely and necessary shroud on defense to help the ‘Bows get to 5-2 with a third consecutive victory.

JAMAR, the Big Sky Conference MVP last season and the mid-major conference’s preseason player of the year on some lists, had been averaging 20.5 points this season and managed 64 double-figure games in his four years as a Grizzlies starter. More than that, his considerable reputation had preceded him to Manoa.

He personally took apart UH in their last meeting in 2012, a commanding 21-point, 11-rebound and 11-assist effort in the 94-79 thumping of the ‘Bows.

And, with his flash drive to the basket and outside-shooting ability evident for the crowd of about 5,500, Jamar had the ability to take over this game — if UH let him find so much as breathing room. But the ‘Bows didn’t. Especially the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Spearman.

Not at the beginning, holding Jamar scoreless in the first half. And not when the game was on the line early in the second half.

Only when the game got down to garbage time, the issue all but decided except for the final score, did Jamar, who played 37 minutes of the contest, weigh in, scoring seven points in the final 2 minutes, 41 seconds, two of them free throws on a technical foul.

But the Grizzlies would have to scratch to find their early points elsewhere. They would struggle to keep up with the ‘Bows in prime time as Jamar went 1-for-4 from 3-point range and 6-for-13 overall.

JAMAR PLAYED the full 20-minute first half but had no points, an airball and the frustration of going 0-for-4 about all he had to show for it.

That Jamar was dangerous and capable of turning around the fortunes of this one in a blink was well demonstrated when he got five quick points in the second half on a drive to the basket and a steal and fast break plus a free throw.

"We were going (at it pretty good)," Spearman would say afterward.

WITH NOTHING at the Stan Sheriff Center until Dec. 22 and the start of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, this would be UH’s last home game for 23 days. But Spearman’s defense left a resounding exclamation point on the night.

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