As much as he might grimace when his fractured right hand takes a hard blow, there is apparently something more painful for the University of Hawaii forward Isaac Fotu.

Being called out as "just another average player from New Zealand," for one.

Thus challenged by head coach Gib Arnold at halftime Wednesday, Fotu said, "I took offense to that."

Offense, indeed.

Fotu took it out on Oregon State, scoring 14 of his team-high 17 points in the second half to help spirit the Rainbow Warriors to a 79-73 victory and fifth place in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

The 6-foot, 8-inch Fotu, throbbing hand and all, is a big reason the ‘Bows, who have won seven of their last eight games, emerged from the tournament 9-3.

Fotu averaged 14 points a game in the tournament, hitting 63 percent of his shots.

Fotu attempted just four field goals in a three-point first half, where UH led 40-38. But it was evident that kind of shooting passivity wasn’t going to get it done for the ‘Bows for the long term. So, "I kind of challenged him a little bit," Arnold said.

"He asked me if I wanted to be just another average player from New Zealand," Fotu said.

His personal and patriotic pride challenged — New Zealand, after all, has one current NBA player, Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams — Fotu went to work. With family and friends from New Zealand on hand among the Stan Sheriff Center crowd of about 3,500, Fotu took eight second-half shots, making six of them.

Good thing, too, because UH’s leading scorer, Christian Standhardinger, followed up a 15-point first half by going 0-for-6 in the second and the ‘Bows converted just nine of 19 second half free-throw attempts.

To keep the Beavers at bay, "I just felt we needed him (Fotu) to shoot more," Arnold said. "I just love it when he’s got the ball down there. If they aren’t going to double-team him, good things will happen."

So much so that Arnold was even willing to overlook Fotu’s wobbly 3-for-10 free-throw shooting, where his well-wrapped injury had the most impact.

While free-throw shooting was a hit or miss — mostly miss — proposition, Fotu was nearly automatic with his high, arching hook shots, spinning past defenders. For the ‘Bows’ Captain Hook, they have become his go-to shots when all else either fails or ails.

In a locker room where doors remained closed for more than 20 minutes after the game as some player-to-player challenges were reportedly exchanged, there was no contention on at least one topic: "We need Isaac to shoot the ball more," Arnold said adamantly.

Twenty shots a game was offered as a hopeful goal as the ‘Bows try to coax more scoring from their sometimes reluctant big man.

"I’ll take Isaac with a broken hand over any other big in the West," Arnold said.

Even if he has to prod him to do it.

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