Hawaii’s season ends with heartbreak in Big West Tournament

HENDERSON, Nev. >> Hawaii basketball coach Eran Ganot was slumped against a wall, his lament too soft to echo in a corridor of the Dollar Loan Center.

Seven times this season, his Hawaii basketball team followed a loss with a victory. But there would be no redemption game after falling to Cal State Fullerton 62-60 in overtime on Thursday afternoon. The Rainbow Warriors’ season ended at 22-11 in the quarterfinals of the single-elimination Big West Tournament.

“This is going to hurt for a while,” Ganot said of the conclusion of his eighth season as head coach. “It hurts now.”

The ’Bows’ Noel Coleman hit a buzzer-beating 3 to force overtime.

But in the extra period, UH trailed 62-60 when point guard JoVon McClanahan was fouled with 3.2 seconds left.

McClanahan missed the first free throw. He then intentionally missed the second in the hope of UH grabbing an offensive rebound. But CSUF’s Latrell Wrightsell secured the ball as time expired in the game and on the ’Bows’ season.

“It was our 33rd game,” Ganot said, and “our guys fought their tails off. They played hard. I know it’s easy to say but hard to do, but they can keep their heads up because they gave us everything they had. That’s all you can ask for.”

The ’Bows had moments of control — a 9-1 start, an 18-10 lead and, in the second half, a 46-41 advantage. But the ’Bows also had too many isolation plays, too many turnovers, committed too many fouls (seven in the game’s first 71⁄2 minutes).

“I thought it started when we were up by five and could have separated,” Ganot said. “We started to (have lapses in discipline) again, and we gave (the Titans) confidence.”

Against an aggressive Fullerton defense, the ’Bows committed 18 turnovers. In turn, the Titans had only four giveaways.

“Defense wins championships,” CSUF’s Wrightsell said.

Because two opponents forced cancellations, the Titans entered having not played since Feb. 25, a span of 12 days. During the forced break, Fullerton coach Dedrique Taylor put together two series of three-day practices designed to simulate the intensity of the tournament’s schedule. “We were prepared for this right now,” Wrightsell said.

Taylor also emphasized attacking the ’Bows’ four-out offense. Taylor said 6-foot-3 guard Tory San Antonio, who was named the Big West’s Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, set the tone.

“He’s the leader who spearheads that thing,” Taylor said. “They understand how important defense is.”

The Titans’ four-guard lineup is built for speed, trespassing into passing lanes, and invading the personal space of UH ball-handlers. It is an approach that has become second nature.

“You don’t rise to the level of the occasion,” said Taylor, paraphrasing former NFL coach Tony Dungy, “you sink to the level of the habit. This group is active.”

Samuta Avea had 19 points for the ’Bows, burying two 3s to answer Fullerton runs. Coleman hit four 3s. McClanahan contributed 12 points. But the reserves did not score, a factor with center Bernardo da Silva in foul trouble most of the game. In the second half, the ’Bows had a 1-for-9 shooting slump.

Leading 56-53 in regulation, the Titans looked to close out with a shot or by drawing a foul. Grayson Carper launched a shot from the left corner as the shot clock sounded. Officials initially ruled it grazed the rim. Max Jones rebounded, and UH forced a jump ball, with the possession awarded to CSUF.

But after a review, it was determined Carper’s shot was an airball, time expired and UH gained possession.

After Coleman’s jumper did not fall, the ball went out of bounds, giving UH another opportunity.

This time, Coleman took a handoff from Kamaka Hepa and hit the 3.

Taylor decided not to have his players foul because of the threat of the ’Bows rebounding a missed free throw.

“The conventional philosophy is to foul at the end of the game,” said Taylor, who was aware of the ’Bows’ rebounding advantage. “I didn’t like the odds. You have to look at the situation for what it is, and you also have to think beyond the situation. So, yeah, we did talk about fouling at the end of the game. I was worried about being able to rebound the ball.”

The Titans also remained feisty despite Coleman’s buzzer-beater.

“We just stayed the course,” Jones said. “We kept fighting.”

With UH ahead 60-57 in overtime, Jones swished the tying 3 from the right corner.

Wrightsell’s floater off a drive gave the Titans a 62-60 lead with 1:12 to play, setting up the final sequences.

“This time of year,” Taylor said, “we’re just trying to survive and advance.”