SPOKANE, WASH. >> Even for a group that’s become known as the ImprobaBows, there was no long-odds comeback this time.

When the buzzer sounded, it signaled finality for Hawaii’s second-round NCAA Tournament game and record-setting season alike. These Rainbow Warriors, who rallied in the face of adversity so many times, had no answer for national power Maryland down the stretch of a 73-60 defeat.

Eran Ganot, UH’s first-year coach, immediately lamented that he would no longer lead this particular blend of souls who became one of the best teams in program history.

“You don’t get them back, and that’s the unfortunate beauty of this whole deal,” said a red-eyed Ganot, referring to the outcome. “But you’re unbelievably proud of this group. Every single guy. I know I speak for everybody in Hawaii, this group’s going to be remembered or a long time, and rightfully so.”

UH’s special season came to a close at 28-6. It featured the most wins in program history, Big West regular season and tournament championships, and a landmark NCAA Tournament victory.

A packed house at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena included several hundred ti leaf-waving, green-clad fanatics. Many saluted the team as it walked off the hardwood.

Instead of heading east, to Louisville, Ky., site of the South Region Sweet 16, UH is heading west, for home.

“Everyone’s going to remember the last game,” said forward Stefan Jankovic, who was held to 14 points on 5-for-17 shooting. “That’s going to hurt for a long time. You know, like I said, it’s basketball. It was a special season. It should have been more. We should have gone farther, honestly. This team was talented, this team played hard. Forty minutes, we tried to leave it all out there.”

After upsetting a large California team in the first round Friday, UH struggled offensively against the larger and more balanced Terrapins; it was held to season lows in field-goal shooting, 32.9 percent, and in points.

Yet the ’Bows went up seven early, were grinding things out, were in position for another stunner — until things went awry in a flash. UH led 41-39 on a Quincy Smith backdoor cut with 11:22 to play. Then Maryland, the preseason No. 3 team in the land, swung a hammer in the form of a 14-0 run to break the game open and didn’t allow the ’Bows to get within single digits in the final 8:25.

The Terrapins sensed their opponents began to tire, something conceded in the UH locker room afterward. The Big Ten team with the turtle mascot started beating the ’Bows down the court in transition, first for a lob dunk to freshman center Diamond Stone.

Maryland (27-8) boasts several dangerous shooters, but it couldn’t buy a 3-pointer until that stretch, when point guard Melo Trimble pulled up for the shattering shot among his game-high 24 points. It was the Terps’ first make from deep in 16 attempts, and the only one they’d get for the game.

It turned out to be all they needed.

“That was really the only difference in the whole game, I think,” forward Sai Tummala said. “We just let up for a little bit and they made a run, they got out. I think that’s what changed.”

Said Ganot: “A couple lapses, just like we do, they make you pay. And we had a couple lapses in that critical stretch.”

Maryland converted 28 of 31 free throws behind Trimble’s 13-for-14 effort. After not attempting a free throw in the first half, UH finally started getting to the line late but couldn’t get shots from the field to drop against the Terps’ versatile defenders. Forward Robert Carter in particular was effective in blunting Jankovic’s versatile game.

Forward Mike Thomas was the only ’Bow to score consistently throughout. He had 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting. He grabbed 11 rebounds, leading a plus-six UH effort on the glass. It was the only time in 24 contests in 2015-16 UH won the glass and lost the game.

UH committed only nine turnovers, but was unable to force the ball out of the hands of Maryland’s talented backcourt of Trimble and Rasheed Sulaimon. UH had only two steals.

The senior backcourt of Roderick Bobbitt and Smith was held in check in their final game, dishing 11 assists between them but scoring only 17 combined points two days after they went for 36 against Cal.

Bobbitt (six points, seven rebounds, seven assists) had to exit quickly with two fouls, and never really got going, aside from a sequence in the second half when he caught a rebound lying flat on his back under the basket and passed it to Jankovic for a bucket while still lying prone. On the next UH possession, he launched the ball ahead to Aaron Valdes for a dunk in transition and a 37-34 lead.

That was about the end of UH’s highlight package.

“(Bobbitt) had one of the best on-ball defenders (Sulaimon) guarding him most of the night and I just said, ‘Rasheed, if we’re going to have a chance, you got to slow this kid down,’ “ Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. “He lost his rhythm. He’s a heck of a player. I watched those (Diamond Head Classic) games over Christmas and was really impressed with him. He just never really got it going tonight.”