FORT MYERS, Fla. » Hawaii men’s basketball coach Benjy Taylor admits that if someone had told him three weeks ago when he got the job that his team would start 6-2, "I would’ve told them they’re crazy."
But that’s what the Rainbow Warriors are after topping East Carolina 75-73 in the fifth-place game of the Gulf Coast Showcase on Wednesday.
Garrett Nevels (19 points, nine rebounds) and Aaron Valdes (15 points, nine rebounds) nearly had double-doubles as Hawaii went 2-1 despite being in Southwest Florida for less than 90 hours.
"We’ve had eight games in 12 days," Taylor said, shaking his head. "Imagine what happens when we get back in the gym.
"I’m really proud of this group."
Hawaii also won despite playing guard Isaac Fleming little the past two games. Fleming had averaged about 25 minutes a game and played 23 in a loss to San Francisco. He played just one minute in a win over Marist and didn’t play at all on Wednesday.
Taylor called it a coach’s decision.
"If you told me 6-2, honestly, I’d probably take it," Nevels said. "It’s been real tough. After Coach (Gib Arnold) was fired we had a scrimmage against a D-II school and lost. At that time, I was thinking, ‘Man, it could be a long season.’
"But we’ve been sticking with it, we’ve stayed positive every day and we’re just trying to get better as a team."
One of the few players not surprised is Valdes.
"I have faith in all these guys and now we’re starting to have faith in each other," he said. "I know we’ve shocked a lot of people, but we knew we could win two or three games here."
With almost 24 hours between games, Hawaii looked much fresher than it did on Tuesday. The ‘Bows had a 41-29 rebounding advantage and shot 46 percent (28-for-61) from the field. Despite being heavy-legged from the travel, they beat East Carolina (3-3) in transition, even off made baskets.
"I was impressed with their poise and demeanor," East Carolina coach Jeff Lebo said. "They have some tough kids."
The game was tight for most of the first half. Unlike the first two games, Hawaii ended the first 20 minutes strong, scoring the final six points for a 38-29 lead.
Lebo especially noticed the ‘Bows’ toughness when the Pirates erased an 11-point deficit in the second half and took a 56-54 lead with 8:18 left on a dunk by freshman B.J. Tyson, who scored 24 points.
Nevels had a jumper and tip-in to lead a 14-3 run as the ‘Bows went back up 68-59.
"They didn’t panic," Lebo said. "They made a couple of plays and we made some unintelligent mistakes, but they took advantage and took momentum back."
Despite missing three straight free throws, two on the front end of one-and-ones, Hawaii held on. Point guard Roderick Bobbitt (10 points, six rebounds, six assists) made three of four free throws late.
"We gotta continue to develop chemistry," Taylor said. "We’ve had so many different lineups.
"We’ll get in the gym and fine-tune some things."
The ‘Bows will be back in action Tuesday with a home game against Delaware State. After a Dec. 6 road game against BYU, they’ll be off until Dec. 19.
"This is a good stretch for us," Taylor said. "We need to maintain our focus. We’ll play the next two, get a break and get better."
Hawaii players and coaches will be home for Thanksgiving dinner, provided there aren’t flight delays. The team is to leave Fort Myers on Thanksgiving morning at 7:45 a.m., stop in Dallas, then fly to Honolulu, where they are scheduled to arrive at 3 p.m.
Taylor is heading to North Carolina to be with his mom for Thanksgiving. After getting in a little recruiting, he plans on returning to Honolulu on Friday night.
