Thompson’s redeeming shots lift UH

By Fred Guzman

MauiNow.com

Hiram Thompson appeared to have given the game away by throwing away a couple of passes in the final minute. But Thompson went from goat to hero by sinking a pair of free throws with 2.1 seconds left in the game, lifting Hawaii to a desperately needed 68-67 win over San Jose State on Sunday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

To further embellish the dramatic turnaround, Thompson hit his head on the court just prior to his winning shots and received treatment after the game for a possible concussion. Fellow guard Jeremy Lay, who made five 3-pointers, and Brandon Adams each scored 19 points while Thompson added 14 for the Bows, who improved their records to 9-8 overall and 2-3 in the WAC.

VOLLEYBALL: After raising expectations at home last weekend, including an upset of then top-ranked USC, the UH men’s volleyball team received a strong dose of reality outside the friendly confines of the Stanley. The Bows went 0-10 on the road the last season and they were unable to change that trend over the weekend, suffering back-to-back sweeps against third-ranked Stanford – including a 39-23, 30-26, 30-19 dismantling on Saturday night.

The Cardinal features a lineup filled with former Hawaii prep standouts. In addition to the sons of Rainbow Wahine coach Dave Shoji, Erik and and Kawika, Stanford also received major contributions from Spencer McLachlin and Brad Lawson. UH will continue its pursuit of an elusive road victory when the Bows return to action tomorrow and Wednesday at Pacific.

SONY OPEN: Ryan Palmer made the most out of a seemingly over-struck 50-foot chip on Sunday’s final hole of the Sony Open. The shot struck the pin and settle a few inches away from the cup, allowing Palmer to tap in for a birdie to secure the title by one stroke over Robert Allenby, who missed a 10-footer that would have forced a playoff. Instead, Palmer’s 4-under 66 gave his a four-day total of 15-under 265 at the Waialae Country Club for the $990,000 first prize.

SKINS GAME: The venerable team of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson became the oldest tandem to win the Champions Skins Game. Nicklaus turns 70 on Thursday and Watson is 60. Despite their combined current age of 129, the pair finished with 10 skins and $350,000 in prize money from the two-day event at the Royal Kaanapali Golf Course.

PREP ROUNDUP: The Seabury boys clinched the D-II soccer title by scoring twice in the final 13 minutes to eliminate St. Anthony with a 3-3 tie. The Baldwin boys moved two point up on Kekaulike in the D-I standings with a 5-1 win over Lahainaluna. In girls’ action, Baldwin opened up a six-point lead over Kekaulike with a 3-0 win over the Lunas, while Seabury posted a key 6-2 win over D-II rival St. Anthony.

The Seabury boys clinched the MIL paddling crown, but the girls and mixed titles are still on the line going into this week’s regular-season finale.