The University of Nevada (2-1) men’s basketball team lost for the first time this season on a last second shot at Hawaii (3-0) in Monday night’s championship game of the Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic at the Stan Sherriff Center.
Nevada trailed by 16 points with 16:10 to play before senior guard Marqueze Coleman, who sat out most of the half with two fouls, took control for the Wolf Pack. Coleman scored 32 of his career-high 34 points in the second half. He had stretch of scoring 11 and 10 points in a row during the comeback. His driving bucket with 8 seconds to play put Nevada up 75-74 before Roderick Bobbitt’s driving layup with 3 seconds to go gave the Rainbow Warriors a 76-75 advantage which would be the final score. Coleman’s halfcourt shot at the buzzer fell short.
Coleman’s 34 points is the highest point total since Malik Story also scored 34 in the Pack’s 90-80 Western Athletic Conference Tournament victory over Fresno State on March 9, 2011. That game was played at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
D.J. Fenner added 16 points tonight and Tyron Criswell finished with 10 before fouling out. Nevada was plagued by foul trouble throughout the game and four players had four fouls when the game ended.
Nevada played without starting guard Lindsey Drew who injured his ankle on Sunday and reserve guard Juwan Anderson also did not play after suffering a leg injury in the same game.
The Pack won the rebounding battled 38-37 as freshman Cameron Oliver finished with a season and game-high 13 boards and contributed eight points.
For the game Nevada shot 42.4 percent and UH 43.9.
Aaron Valdes led UH with 19 points as four Rainbow Warriors scored in double figures.
Nevada travels back to Reno before taking back to the road for a game at Pacific on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Nevada’s second half on Friday made the difference as the Wolf Pack men’s basketball team defeated Coastal Carolina 73-56 in the Rainbow Classic on Thursday.
First-year Nevada coach Eric Musselman had a successful debut with the win.
Nevada hgad four players in double figures led by DJ Fenner with 16.
Marqueze Coleman had 14 points, Cameron Oliver had 13 and AJ West added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Wolf Pack.
Coastal Carolina had a slight two-point at halftime, 23-21 at the half but Nevada shot 53 percent inth second haflf.
Badou Diagne had 15 points and Jaylen Shaw 13 for Coastal Carolina.
As they did two days ago with Coastal Carolina, Nevada pulled away in the second half with an 83-62 win Sunday over Montana State at the Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic.
Marqueze Coleman scored 20 points, while AJ West had 11 points and 12 rebounds for Nevada, which improved to 2-0.
Nevada held Montana State to less than 30 percent shooting. Tyson Criswell had three of the team’s seven blocks and scored 15 points.
Montana State (1-2) got 22 points from Marcus Colbert, the only Bobcat to score in double figures. Quinton Everett had 6 points and six rebounds.