UH’s Sheriff sets up shop in Sheriff Center

There is another reason to call the University of Hawaii’s basketball home the “Sheriff Center” these days.

The arena set in UH’s lower campus has become guard Sheriff Drammeh’s personal stage of late, a point — well, 22 of them, in fact — driven home Saturday night in the Rainbow Warriors’ impressive 79-71 victory over Davidson.

The second-round triumph in the Diamond Head Classic vaults UH, 8-3 overall, into the fifth-place game against Princeton (6-7) in the 9:30 a.m. slot Christmas Day.

What a gathering of 3,233 and a national television audience witnessed Saturday night was the latest and most eye-opening chapter in the unfolding emergence of the junior guard from Stockholm, Sweden.

Over the last four games, beginning with UH-Hilo, Drammeh had averaged 17.8 points a game with four consecutive double-figure performances. But it is the way that the ’Bows’ leanest player at 6-feet, 3 inches and, maybe, 160 pounds, has gone about it that transcends even the remarkable statistics.

The tentativeness that marked much of his two previous seasons and, indeed an earlier portion of this one, has been replaced by a bold assertiveness. It is a mounting confidence that rubs off his teammates and is, increasingly, bringing the home crowd to its feet.

Originally known for his uncanny ability to take a charge in getting opponents to commit offensive fouls, Drammeh now takes charge for the ’Bows on offense. Though, as was demonstrated Saturday, he can still discombobulate a driving opponent headed to the basket.

Need a basket in a pinch? Drammeh is increasingly your man. Desperate to build some momentum? Drammeh is usually the ’Bow who steps up big of late.

Saturday night none of the Wildcats’ guards could keep up with him.

Filling the gap vacated by the struggling Mike Thomas, Drammeh has become the ’Bows leading scorer. While Thomas, who departed in frustration without a point, this time fouling out despite only appearing in eight minutes on the court, it was left to Drammeh and Gibson Johnson to pick up the slack and, hence, the ’Bows.

Johnson matched his season high with 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting while Drammeh reached a career best with his 22 points on six-of-14 shooting from the field and nine of 13 from the free-throw line.

While we ponder the growing mystery of Thomas’ multi-faceted struggles that have consumed him offensively and defensively, Drammeh’s coming out has been something to behold.

That Drammeh logged a team-high 37 minutes was an indication of his importance for this night as UH locked up what might be its most impressive victory of the nonconference season.

Drammeh got 16 of his points in the first half, for a time producing half of what UH was putting up on the scoreboard. Then, in the second half as the Wildcats threatened to make a game of it again, he helped put Davidson away. Along the way he added a season-high seven rebounds and four assists.

That the reigning Big West Conference player of the week is now working on an all-tournament candidacy should surprise no one right now.

Not in Sheriff’s Center, anyway.

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