Johnson lets it fly
MOSCOW, Idaho – Clyde Johnson yelled himself out of Thursday night’s game. Fortunately for the Vandals, he shot his way out of it, too.
Johnson, hoarse by game’s end from all his exhortations to the crowd, had enough energy to knock down a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left to give Idaho a 76-75 win over Hawaii, its first Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball victory of the season.
“They collapsed and I was wide open,” said Johnson, who not too long ago was taken out of the starting lineup. “I knew I was close, that’s why I looked down. When I saw both feet were behind the line, I just went up with it. And nothing but net.”
The Vandals (3-14, 1-4 WAC) trailed for almost the entire game, as the final score was the team’s first lead since an early 28-27 edge midway through the first half.
Idaho nearly gave away its opportunity, too, as an ill-advised David Jackson foul with 8 seconds left allowed Hawaii to break a tie with two free throws.
But Keoni Watson, who struggled from the field for much of the night and ended up 5 of 19 with a team-high 16 points, drove past his defender in the waning seconds and managed to kick the ball out to Johnson, whose defender had fallen. On the game, Johnson had 15 points and made all three of his 3-point attempts.
“I feel good for our players,” Vandals coach George Pfeifer said. “That’s not a surprise that Clyde made that, because he’s been shooting a good percentage from there.”
Hawaii (10-8, 1-4) fared decently against the Vandals defense, especially on the offensive glass, but was unable to match that level of play on the other end of the floor. The Vandals scored 41 second-half points, slowly bringing the Cowan Spectrum crowd of 1,107 back to life as Idaho continued to stay close.
“They ripped our defense up,” Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said. “We couldn’t stop their penetration to create stuff.”
The Vandals had another opportunity earlier in the final minute to take a lead, but forward Darin Nagle missed a dunk, and then after a teammate collected an offensive rebound, Nagle missed on a contested 3-pointer from the right wing. But with more than 20 seconds left on the clock at the time, Idaho ended up having plenty of time to make up for those misses.
The Vandals’ other two wins on the season had come against South Dakota State, once on the road and once at home. Next up, the Vandals will again play at home Saturday against Louisiana Tech.
“We were in a slump,” Johnson said. “This gives us a boost of confidence.”
Notes
Pfeifer credited senior Desmond Nwoke for having his best game as a Vandal. The forward scored 14 points and had eight rebounds before fouling out in the closing minutes. … For the Rainbow Warriors, five players scored in double figures and accounted for all but two of the team’s points. Dominic Waters led the way with 18 points off the bench.
Idaho 76, Hawaii 75
Hawaii (10-8)- Gibson 0-2 0-0 0, Lojeski 7-17 1-2 17, Owsley 6-14 0-0 12, Nash 4-9 1-1 11, Gueye 2-8 11-14 15, Lowenthal 0-1 0-0 0, Waters 4-7 7-7 18, Luettgerodt 1-5 0-0 2, Verwers 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-65 20-24 75.
Idaho (3-14)- Watson 5-19 4-7 16, Crowell 0-1 2-3 2, Avworo 0-4 2-4 2, Nagle 6-13 3-5 15, Jackson 2-5 2-2 6, C.Johnson 6-7 0-0 15, Morris 2-6 0-0 6, Nwoke 4-7 6-7 14. Totals 25-62 19-28 76.
Halftime—Hawaii 40-35. 3-Point Goals—Hawaii 7-18 (Waters 3-4, Nash 2-6, Lojeski 2-6, Gibson 0-1, Luettgerodt 0-1), Idaho 7-17 (C.Johnson 3-3, Watson 2-5, Morris 2-5, Nagle 0-4). Fouled Out—Nwoke. Rebounds—Hawaii 48 (Gueye 14), Idaho 39 (Nagle, Nwoke 8). Assists—Hawaii 15 (Waters 5), Idaho 12 (Avworo 4). Total Fouls—Hawaii 20, Idaho 20. A—1,107.