The University of Hawai‘i men's basketball team nearly pulled off a season-opening upset at Oregon on Tuesday night but fell to the Ducks 60-59 in the closing seconds.
Trailing 50-36 with 11:05 remaining, the Rainbow Warriors went on a miraculous 14-0 run to tie the game at 50 on a pair of Isaac Johnson free throws with 7:53 remaining. A tip-in by Johnson with 5:31 remaining gave the 'Bows a 54-52 advantage, their first lead of the second half.
Clinging to a 59-58 lead in the closing seconds, the 'Bows were without post players Gytis Nemeiksa and Johnson, who each fouled out. Oregon missed four potential game-winners in its final possession but got the offensive rebound each time, allowing Takai Simpkins to score on a layup with 4.2 seconds remaining.
Hunter Erickson's runner for Hawai‘i was off the mark at the buzzer.
Both teams struggled with their shooting. The Rainbow Warriors were 21 of 65 from the field, making just five of their 27 3-point attempts and 12 of their 19 free throws.
Meanwhile, the Ducks, who led 33-26 at halftime, were 21-for-58 from the field, including 2-for-16 from 3. Simpkins had a game-high 18 points.
Johnson led the Rainbow Warriors with 13 points, despite playing just 12 minutes due to foul trouble.
The Rainbow Warriors will return home for a game against East Texas A&M on Sunday at the Stan Sheriff Center. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
