Cal Tops Miami in Emerald Bowl
Jahvid Best rushed for a bowl-record 186 yards and two touchdowns in the contest
Dec. 27, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Zack Follett forced a fumble by Jacory Harris deep in Miami territory with 3:28 left, and Anthony Miller scored the go-ahead touchdown on his first career catch moments later in California's 24-17 victory in the Emerald Bowl on Saturday night.
Jahvid Best rushed for a bowl-record 186 yards and two touchdowns, yet the Golden Bears (9-4) still needed a big defensive play and an unlikely hero to hold off the Hurricanes (7-6) in front of a Bay Area crowd teeming with screaming Cal fans.
Harris played well in the freshman's second career start, going 25-of-41 for 194 yards and two TDs while subbing for the suspended Robert Marve. Harris had won 31 straight starts dating back to his high school career in South Florida, but his fumble cost the Hurricanes in their first bowl game under coach Randy Shannon.
Nate Longshore shook off a 10-for-21 performance in his final college game with that sharp scoring pass to Miller for Cal. The Golden Bears won for the fifth time in a school-record six consecutive bowl appearances under coach Jeff Tedford.
Laron Byrd and Thearon Collier caught Harris' scoring passes for Miami, which tied it on Matt Bosher's 22-yard field goal with 9:13 to play.
Jahvid Best rushed for a bowl-record 186 yards and two touchdowns in the contest
Dec. 27, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Zack Follett forced a fumble by Jacory Harris deep in Miami territory with 3:28 left, and Anthony Miller scored the go-ahead touchdown on his first career catch moments later in California's 24-17 victory in the Emerald Bowl on Saturday night.
Jahvid Best rushed for a bowl-record 186 yards and two touchdowns, yet the Golden Bears (9-4) still needed a big defensive play and an unlikely hero to hold off the Hurricanes (7-6) in front of a Bay Area crowd teeming with screaming Cal fans.
Harris played well in the freshman's second career start, going 25-of-41 for 194 yards and two TDs while subbing for the suspended Robert Marve. Harris had won 31 straight starts dating back to his high school career in South Florida, but his fumble cost the Hurricanes in their first bowl game under coach Randy Shannon.Nate Longshore shook off a 10-for-21 performance in his final college game with that sharp scoring pass to Miller for Cal. The Golden Bears won for the fifth time in a school-record six consecutive bowl appearances under coach Jeff Tedford.
Laron Byrd and Thearon Collier caught Harris' scoring passes for Miami, which tied it on Matt Bosher's 22-yard field goal with 9:13 to play.
After Cal's Giorgio Tavecchio missed a 34-yard field goal with 4:24 left, Follett knocked the ball away from Harris while dropping the quarterback from behind on third down. Cameron Jordan recovered and returned it to the Miami 2, where Longshore connected with Miller, a freshman who hardly played this season.
Tedford chose Longshore to start his final college game instead of Kevin Riley, the Bears' starter for much of this year. "We couldn't let them come across the country and beat us in our backyard," Zack Follett
Marve was among five Miami players suspended in the days leading up to the game for violating team rules, and starting tight end Dedrick Epps was a last-minute scratch from the lineup with a bruised leg. Graig Cooper rushed for 63 yards and Lee Chambers added 60 for Miami, and tight end Craig Zellner made eight catches for 48 yards in Epps' place.
Bay Area fans clad in blue and gold filled all but a few thousand spots in the sold-out stadium, turning the San Francisco Giants' waterfront ballpark into a cross-Bay rendition of Strawberry Canyon with a bowl-record crowd of 42,268. The Bears' campus is roughly 12 miles from San Francisco, yet the team stayed in a hotel in the city during its week of preparation, crossing the Bay Bridge for daily practice in Berkeley.
Best finished the season with 1,580 yards rushing, which means Oregon State freshman Jacquizz Rodgers would need 328 yards in the Sun Bowl against Pittsburgh on Wednesday to overtake Best for the Pac-10 rushing title. Best, who finished with the second-highest rushing total in Cal history, all but locked up his first conference rushing crown with 311 yards in the Bears' regular season finale against Washington.
Jahvid Best lifts the game's MVP trophy. Longshore, who finished his career No. 2 in victories by a Cal starting quarterback, earned the starting spot after having two strong weeks of practice leading up to the game.
Verran Tucker, the junior receiver who surprisingly claimed a starting spot for Cal this season, took a short slant pass 74 yards to the Miami 2 midway through the first quarter, setting up Best's 1-yard TD run. The pass was the longest ever allowed by Miami in its lengthy bowl history.
A few minutes later, Best doubled back on an interior run and sprinted past the Hurricanes' fleet-footed defense for a 42-yard score. But Harris replied with a scoring drive culminating in Byrd's TD catch. Harris led a 10-play, 69-yard drive after halftime culminating in Collier's short TD catch to tie it at 14 
’Bows Meet Waves On Final Day Of Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic
12/30/2008 9:06:24 AM
Game NotesUpdated Bracket
HONOLULU – The University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warrior basketball team will play for the consolation championship in the final eight-team edition of the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic. The ’Bows face Pepperdine of the West Coast Conference on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 5:00 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Buffalo and Colorado State with face off in the championship game at 7:30 p.m. The afternoon session will include Coppin State-George Washington at 11:00 a.m. in the 7th-place game and Vermont-Colorado in the 3rd-place game.
UH (7-4) is coming of a huge 73-47 win over George Washington, the most lopsided victory by the ’Bows this season. Roderick Flemings led the team with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while UH held the Colonials to just 14 first-half points on 25 percent shooting. Pepperdine (2-12), meanwhile, picked up just its second win of the season when it defeated Coppin State, 58-56, on a driving layup by Lorne Jackson in the closing seconds.
Pepperdine leads the series, 6-5, though UH has won the last four meetings, including three in Honolulu. This will be the first meeting between the teams since 1984. Following the Rainbow Classic, Hawai`i will begin Western Athletic Conference action with a pair of home games versus Boise State (Jan. 3) and Louisiana Tech (Jan. 5).
Game 12 Tip-Off Notes
What: 2008 Outrigger Hotel’s Rainbow Classic
Who: Hawai‘i (7-4) vs. Pepperdine (2-12)
When: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008
Time: 5:00 p.m. HT
Where: Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) - Honolulu, HI
Television: Live statewide on Oceanic Cable Pay-Per-View digital channel 255 with Jim
Leahey (play-by-play) and Artie Wilson (color). Call (808) 643-3333 to order. Rebroadcast Dec. 31
on KFVE-TV at 10:00 a.m.
Tedford chose Longshore to start his final college game instead of Kevin Riley, the Bears' starter for much of this year. "We couldn't let them come across the country and beat us in our backyard," Zack Follett
Marve was among five Miami players suspended in the days leading up to the game for violating team rules, and starting tight end Dedrick Epps was a last-minute scratch from the lineup with a bruised leg. Graig Cooper rushed for 63 yards and Lee Chambers added 60 for Miami, and tight end Craig Zellner made eight catches for 48 yards in Epps' place.Bay Area fans clad in blue and gold filled all but a few thousand spots in the sold-out stadium, turning the San Francisco Giants' waterfront ballpark into a cross-Bay rendition of Strawberry Canyon with a bowl-record crowd of 42,268. The Bears' campus is roughly 12 miles from San Francisco, yet the team stayed in a hotel in the city during its week of preparation, crossing the Bay Bridge for daily practice in Berkeley.
Best finished the season with 1,580 yards rushing, which means Oregon State freshman Jacquizz Rodgers would need 328 yards in the Sun Bowl against Pittsburgh on Wednesday to overtake Best for the Pac-10 rushing title. Best, who finished with the second-highest rushing total in Cal history, all but locked up his first conference rushing crown with 311 yards in the Bears' regular season finale against Washington.
Jahvid Best lifts the game's MVP trophy. Longshore, who finished his career No. 2 in victories by a Cal starting quarterback, earned the starting spot after having two strong weeks of practice leading up to the game.Verran Tucker, the junior receiver who surprisingly claimed a starting spot for Cal this season, took a short slant pass 74 yards to the Miami 2 midway through the first quarter, setting up Best's 1-yard TD run. The pass was the longest ever allowed by Miami in its lengthy bowl history.
A few minutes later, Best doubled back on an interior run and sprinted past the Hurricanes' fleet-footed defense for a 42-yard score. But Harris replied with a scoring drive culminating in Byrd's TD catch. Harris led a 10-play, 69-yard drive after halftime culminating in Collier's short TD catch to tie it at 14 
’Bows Meet Waves On Final Day Of Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic
12/30/2008 9:06:24 AM
Game NotesUpdated Bracket
HONOLULU – The University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warrior basketball team will play for the consolation championship in the final eight-team edition of the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic. The ’Bows face Pepperdine of the West Coast Conference on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 5:00 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Buffalo and Colorado State with face off in the championship game at 7:30 p.m. The afternoon session will include Coppin State-George Washington at 11:00 a.m. in the 7th-place game and Vermont-Colorado in the 3rd-place game.
UH (7-4) is coming of a huge 73-47 win over George Washington, the most lopsided victory by the ’Bows this season. Roderick Flemings led the team with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while UH held the Colonials to just 14 first-half points on 25 percent shooting. Pepperdine (2-12), meanwhile, picked up just its second win of the season when it defeated Coppin State, 58-56, on a driving layup by Lorne Jackson in the closing seconds.
Pepperdine leads the series, 6-5, though UH has won the last four meetings, including three in Honolulu. This will be the first meeting between the teams since 1984. Following the Rainbow Classic, Hawai`i will begin Western Athletic Conference action with a pair of home games versus Boise State (Jan. 3) and Louisiana Tech (Jan. 5).
Game 12 Tip-Off Notes
What: 2008 Outrigger Hotel’s Rainbow Classic
Who: Hawai‘i (7-4) vs. Pepperdine (2-12)When: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008
Time: 5:00 p.m. HT
Where: Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) - Honolulu, HI
Television: Live statewide on Oceanic Cable Pay-Per-View digital channel 255 with Jim
Leahey (play-by-play) and Artie Wilson (color). Call (808) 643-3333 to order. Rebroadcast Dec. 31
on KFVE-TV at 10:00 a.m.
Streaming Video: Live video streaming is available on uhstreaming.oceanic.com.
Radio: ESPN 1420 AM will carry the game live with Bobby Curran. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KPUA in Hilo, KMWB in Kona.
Audio Webcast: Live audio streaming on espn1420am.com
Live Stats: Live in-game stats are available at HawaiiAthletics.com
Ticket Information: Evening session tickets - $26 (lower); $18 (upper). Afternoon session tickets - $7 (general admission). Parking $3.
Coaches: Bob Nash (18-23) is in his second year at UH. Tom Asbury (127-71) is in his seventh year at Pepperdine.
Series Information: Pepperdine leads, 6-5.
Radio: ESPN 1420 AM will carry the game live with Bobby Curran. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KPUA in Hilo, KMWB in Kona.
Audio Webcast: Live audio streaming on espn1420am.com
Live Stats: Live in-game stats are available at HawaiiAthletics.com
Ticket Information: Evening session tickets - $26 (lower); $18 (upper). Afternoon session tickets - $7 (general admission). Parking $3.
Coaches: Bob Nash (18-23) is in his second year at UH. Tom Asbury (127-71) is in his seventh year at Pepperdine.
Series Information: Pepperdine leads, 6-5.
Waves Fall Short at Hawaii, 78-70
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/30/2008
HONOLULU, Hawaii — The Pepperdine men’s basketball team put together a strong effort for much of the game, but Hawaii finally outlasted the Waves, 78-70, to claim fifth place at the 45th Annual Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic on Tuesday evening.
Pepperdine (2-13) went 1-2 in the tournament to finish in sixth place. It was a two-point game with less than seven minutes to go before Hawaii (8-4) pulled away.
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Freshman guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) scored a season-high 18 points, including 12 in the second half. Freshman guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) and freshman forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) each scored 12 points and senior guard Mike Hornbuckle (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian HS/Azusa Pacific) tied his season high with 11.
After shooting 50.0% from the field in the first half to take a 39-38 lead at the break, the Waves cooled off and shot 26.7% (8-for-30) in the second to finish at 38.3% for the game. Hawaii ended at 52.2%.
“We just ran out of gas a little bit,” said Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury after his team played its third game in three days. “We had a lot of good shots that just didn’t drop. Hawaii played really well and ratcheted up their offense a bit.”
An early 10-0 run helped the Waves out to a 14-7 lead with 14 minutes left in the first half. Jackson began and ended the run with lay-ups, and Darby had two baskets in the paint.
Darby, who had 11 of his points in the first half, later had two interior baskets in a row to push Pepperdine’s lead back up to seven points again at 26-19 with 7 ½ minutes left. But Hawaii’s Lasha Parghalava would score eight straight points by himself to allow the Warriors to regain the lead at 29-27 with 4:25 to go.
The lead changed hands several times in the final minutes. Bell hit a pair of three-pointers, then made a steal on the defensive end and went all the way for a lay-up to give Pepperdine a 37-34 lead with 1:35 to go. Hawaii came back to grab a 38-37 advantage, but freshman forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) made two free throws with 1.4 seconds left to send the Waves into halftime with a 39-38 lead.
Bell grabbed a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast for a lay-up and a 43-39 Pepperdine lead with 16:45 left, but the Waves’ shooting went cold, and Hawaii capitalized. Pepperdine went without a field goal for more than 5 ½ minutes and the Warriors went on a 10-2 run to take a 49-45 lead.
Both teams struggled to score for a stretch, and it was still just a two-point game at 53-51 with 6:53 to play after sophomore forward Mychel Thompson (Ladera Ranch, Calif./Stoneridge Prep) made a lay-up after a nice entry pass from Bell. Hawaii, however, scored the next seven points to build a 60-51 lead with less than five minutes to go.
Parghalava nailed his fifth three-pointer of the game and was fouled with 3:42 to play. He made the free throw to extend Hawaii’s lead to 66-54 with under four minutes left. The Warriors’ largest lead was 14 points at 68-54. Parghalava finished with a game-high 25 points, including 14 in the second half.
Hawaii did most of its damage from the free throw line in the second half, making 20 of 23. The Warriors were 24-for-27 (89%) from the line for the game.
The Waves tied a season low with 13 turnovers while forcing 21, and had a 24-13 edge in points off turnovers. Unlike Pepperdine’s first two games at the Rainbow Classic, this one didn’t come down to the final seconds. On Sunday, Buffalo’s Andy Robinson hit a jumper with 0.8 seconds left to give the Bulls a 72-71 win over the Waves. On Monday, Jackson made a driving lay-up with 6.6 seconds left and Coppin State missed a three-pointer at the buzzer in a 58-56 Pepperdine win.
Speaking about the entire tournament, Asbury said: “We played well and gained a lot from the tournament. We could have beaten Buffalo and were ahead at halftime tonight. We were in all three games, had a good experience and got better. We knew this season would be a struggle with eight freshmen, but we keep getting better.”
Of the nine players that saw action for the Waves, seven were freshmen or sophomores, and six weren’t on the roster last year. The Waves played their 11th straight game without Ryan Holmes (Phoenix, Ariz./Millennium HS/Phoenix CC), their starting point guard and one of just three seniors, who is sidelined by a knee injury. Sophomore forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Marshall HS/Collin County CC), who sprained an ankle in the Georgia Tech game a little more than a week ago, did not play in this tournament.
The Waves return to Firestone Fieldhouse for their final non-conference game of the season on Saturday (Jan. 3) against Western Oregon at 2 p.m. Subscribers to “Wave Casts” at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?DB_OEM_ID=18500 can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein’s call of the action.
UH Pulls Away From Pepperdine, 78-70; Buffalo Wins Rainbow Classic Title
12/30/2008 7:09:38 PM
HONOLULU – The University of Hawai`i men’s basketball team claimed the consolation title of the 45th Annual Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic with a 78-70 win over Pepperdine Tuesday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. The ’Bows improved to 8-4 overall, while finishing with a 2-1 mark in the final eight-team edition of the tournament.
Lasha Parghalava came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points, including 17 points in the decisive second half. The junior guard went 7-of-10 from the field and buried five three pointers. Bill Amis (16) and Petras Balocka (11) also finished in double figures for UH. Lorne Jackson led four Waves in double figures with 18 points.
The Waves (2-13) entered the game having lost 12 of its last 13 games, but they would be not push-over. Pepperdine led by as many as seven points in the first half, held a one point lead at the break and went up 43-39 in the opening minutes of the second half. But UH went on a 21-8 run to take a nine-point lead with just five minutes remaining and would not relinquish the lead.
UH won despite a season-low three points by leading scorer Roderick Flemings, who was saddled with foul trouble for much of the game. The rest of the ’Bows picked up the slack however, as UH shot 52 percent from the floor, hit 24-of-27 on the free throw line, and out-rebounded (37-27) its 11th opponent in 12 games.
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/30/2008
HONOLULU, Hawaii — The Pepperdine men’s basketball team put together a strong effort for much of the game, but Hawaii finally outlasted the Waves, 78-70, to claim fifth place at the 45th Annual Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic on Tuesday evening.
Pepperdine (2-13) went 1-2 in the tournament to finish in sixth place. It was a two-point game with less than seven minutes to go before Hawaii (8-4) pulled away.
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Freshman guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) scored a season-high 18 points, including 12 in the second half. Freshman guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) and freshman forward Taylor Darby (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills HS) each scored 12 points and senior guard Mike Hornbuckle (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian HS/Azusa Pacific) tied his season high with 11.
After shooting 50.0% from the field in the first half to take a 39-38 lead at the break, the Waves cooled off and shot 26.7% (8-for-30) in the second to finish at 38.3% for the game. Hawaii ended at 52.2%.
“We just ran out of gas a little bit,” said Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury after his team played its third game in three days. “We had a lot of good shots that just didn’t drop. Hawaii played really well and ratcheted up their offense a bit.”
An early 10-0 run helped the Waves out to a 14-7 lead with 14 minutes left in the first half. Jackson began and ended the run with lay-ups, and Darby had two baskets in the paint.
Darby, who had 11 of his points in the first half, later had two interior baskets in a row to push Pepperdine’s lead back up to seven points again at 26-19 with 7 ½ minutes left. But Hawaii’s Lasha Parghalava would score eight straight points by himself to allow the Warriors to regain the lead at 29-27 with 4:25 to go.
The lead changed hands several times in the final minutes. Bell hit a pair of three-pointers, then made a steal on the defensive end and went all the way for a lay-up to give Pepperdine a 37-34 lead with 1:35 to go. Hawaii came back to grab a 38-37 advantage, but freshman forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) made two free throws with 1.4 seconds left to send the Waves into halftime with a 39-38 lead.
Bell grabbed a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast for a lay-up and a 43-39 Pepperdine lead with 16:45 left, but the Waves’ shooting went cold, and Hawaii capitalized. Pepperdine went without a field goal for more than 5 ½ minutes and the Warriors went on a 10-2 run to take a 49-45 lead.
Both teams struggled to score for a stretch, and it was still just a two-point game at 53-51 with 6:53 to play after sophomore forward Mychel Thompson (Ladera Ranch, Calif./Stoneridge Prep) made a lay-up after a nice entry pass from Bell. Hawaii, however, scored the next seven points to build a 60-51 lead with less than five minutes to go.
Parghalava nailed his fifth three-pointer of the game and was fouled with 3:42 to play. He made the free throw to extend Hawaii’s lead to 66-54 with under four minutes left. The Warriors’ largest lead was 14 points at 68-54. Parghalava finished with a game-high 25 points, including 14 in the second half.Hawaii did most of its damage from the free throw line in the second half, making 20 of 23. The Warriors were 24-for-27 (89%) from the line for the game.
The Waves tied a season low with 13 turnovers while forcing 21, and had a 24-13 edge in points off turnovers. Unlike Pepperdine’s first two games at the Rainbow Classic, this one didn’t come down to the final seconds. On Sunday, Buffalo’s Andy Robinson hit a jumper with 0.8 seconds left to give the Bulls a 72-71 win over the Waves. On Monday, Jackson made a driving lay-up with 6.6 seconds left and Coppin State missed a three-pointer at the buzzer in a 58-56 Pepperdine win.
Speaking about the entire tournament, Asbury said: “We played well and gained a lot from the tournament. We could have beaten Buffalo and were ahead at halftime tonight. We were in all three games, had a good experience and got better. We knew this season would be a struggle with eight freshmen, but we keep getting better.”
Of the nine players that saw action for the Waves, seven were freshmen or sophomores, and six weren’t on the roster last year. The Waves played their 11th straight game without Ryan Holmes (Phoenix, Ariz./Millennium HS/Phoenix CC), their starting point guard and one of just three seniors, who is sidelined by a knee injury. Sophomore forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Marshall HS/Collin County CC), who sprained an ankle in the Georgia Tech game a little more than a week ago, did not play in this tournament.
The Waves return to Firestone Fieldhouse for their final non-conference game of the season on Saturday (Jan. 3) against Western Oregon at 2 p.m. Subscribers to “Wave Casts” at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?DB_OEM_ID=18500 can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein’s call of the action.
UH Pulls Away From Pepperdine, 78-70; Buffalo Wins Rainbow Classic Title
12/30/2008 7:09:38 PM
HONOLULU – The University of Hawai`i men’s basketball team claimed the consolation title of the 45th Annual Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic with a 78-70 win over Pepperdine Tuesday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. The ’Bows improved to 8-4 overall, while finishing with a 2-1 mark in the final eight-team edition of the tournament.
Lasha Parghalava came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points, including 17 points in the decisive second half. The junior guard went 7-of-10 from the field and buried five three pointers. Bill Amis (16) and Petras Balocka (11) also finished in double figures for UH. Lorne Jackson led four Waves in double figures with 18 points.
The Waves (2-13) entered the game having lost 12 of its last 13 games, but they would be not push-over. Pepperdine led by as many as seven points in the first half, held a one point lead at the break and went up 43-39 in the opening minutes of the second half. But UH went on a 21-8 run to take a nine-point lead with just five minutes remaining and would not relinquish the lead.
UH won despite a season-low three points by leading scorer Roderick Flemings, who was saddled with foul trouble for much of the game. The rest of the ’Bows picked up the slack however, as UH shot 52 percent from the floor, hit 24-of-27 on the free throw line, and out-rebounded (37-27) its 11th opponent in 12 games.
Pepperdine 58, Coppin State 56
The Waves proved the mightier of two one-win teams.
Pepperdine (2-12) earned its first win of the season over a Division I opponent when Lorne Jackson hit a driving floater off the window to break a tie game with 6.6 seconds left.
After a timeout by the Eagles (1-10), Tywain McKee sped up the floor and launched a pullup 3-pointer from the right angle, but his shot failed to draw iron at the buzzer.
Michael Thompson led the Waves with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. McKee had 21 for the Eagles.
Pepperdine closed the first half on a 17-2 run to lead 27-22.
