Ferd Lewis: Large crowd sees little offense in lowly University of Hawaii defeat

When University of Hawaii’s 7-foot center Dawson Carper slammed home a dunk with 10 minutes and 13 seconds remaining Saturday night, the Stan Sheriff Center crowd roared in appreciation.

And, maybe, also the hopeful expectation that it would awaken the Rainbow Warriors’ somnolent offense.

Alas, the second-largest gathering of the season, 5,467, might have raised the decibel level even higher had they known that not only would it not be the much-needed wake-up call, but it would be the ’Bows’ penultimate field goal of a very long and fruitless night.

For not until Samuta Avea’s jump shot with 22 seconds remaining in a game that was all over except for the bemoaning did the ’Bows manage another field goal in a 49-43 setback to UC Riverside.

>> PHOTOS: UC Riverside at Hawaii

In succumbing to the Highlanders’ version of a very deliberate crawl ball, Hawaii suffered its lowest-scoring night since 1998 (a 58-37 loss to Oklahoma State), a far cry from the triumphant finish the ’Bows had hoped for and the crowd had come to celebrate on senior night.

But, then, it was in keeping with the Highlanders who have somehow managed to become something of regular party killers in Manoa, winning four of their last five visits here. UCR, which has the look of the most improved team in the Big West Conference is now 16-15 (6-9 in conference) and within reach of surpassing the school’s most victories in its NCAA Division I history.

Meanwhile, the Rainbows (16-12) lost for the sixth time in their last eight games. Had they won, they would have been tied for second place in the conference. Instead, at 7-7, they slumped to fifth place, not exactly a running start toward the all-important postseason.

Their final two games of the regular season come on the road at UC Davis and Cal State Northridge before the March 12-14 Big West Tournament in Anaheim, Calif.

Saturday’s game closed the door on a February to forget, a month in which they went 3-6. It was their worst February (not counting games ordered vacated by NCAA ruling) since the 2009-10 season.

In what would be a bitterest of ends, the ’Bows made good on just two of their final 12 field-goal attempts and missed their last five 3-point attempts to shoot 32% (15.4% from the 3-point arc).

It was a game played at a molasses pace reminiscent of the pre-shot clock, four-corner era as reflected by a 24-all score at halftime. And nothing seemed to snap the ’Bows out of the tempo. Not even the 16 turnovers they forced out of UC Riverside.

Even the usually deadly Eddie Stansberry, the conference’s second-leading scorer (15.9 points a game average) who had scored in double figures for five consecutive games, couldn’t find the touch try as he might. On his senior night, Stansberry made good on just one of eight field-goal attempts (one of six from 3-point range) for six points.

For much of this one it was left to the other departing senior, Zigmars Raimo, to get UH going. He scored nine points, his season average.

Instead of being a night to remember, it became a game best forgotten in a season that is still very much up in the air.

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