Even for a team that slept in the Stan Sheriff Center the night before its most recent game, it is getting hard for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team to really call the place a home of late.

Home is supposed to be where you have an edge. Home is where you have a nodding familiarity and comfort with the rims and backboards, get the bounces and confidently sink the shots.

But for the Rainbow Warriors, home right now is just a place where the heartburn is after an 0-2 start in the 44th annual Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic, the latest setback a head-shaking 68-62 loss to St. John's in yesterday's consolation matinee.

Not since 1995 have the 'Bows begun 0-2 in their own tournament. Perhaps not since they moved into the Sheriff Center in 1994, however, have they looked less at home and more like a first-time visitor in their 3-point shooting there. "We've never had a problem (shooting 3s) in our home gym, but we're struggling right now a little bit," Bobby Nash said.

They made just 2 of 17 from 3-point range yesterday and, combined with the 2 of 15 shooting in the loss to Louisiana-Lafayette in the opener — their two worst 3-point shooting games of the season — have managed to make good on a scanty 4 of 32 in this tournament.

"That's not acceptable," head coach Bob Nash acknowledged. "We're a much better shooting team than that."

Well, at least they used to be until this tournament. The 'Bows were a 35 percent field goal shooting team entering the tournament and that was with two road games.

The 'Bows have made debilitating turnovers down the stretch and have broken down on defense, all maladies adding to their slide, of course. But when you come down to it, the failure of their 3-point shooting, which was to have been a strength this year, has been key. And the most maddening thing of all is that it is the 'Bows' best shooters, seniors all, who are struggling there the most. Bobby Nash is 0 of 9, Matt Gibson 2 of 12 and Jared Dillinger 1 of 7 over the two games.

The Red Storm did a good job of "getting in their hip pockets," as St. John's coach Norm Roberts put it. They did a thorough job of muscling up and, at times, intimidating the 'Bows. With the game on the line yesterday, the 'Bows were unable to make any of four 3-point attempts in the final 5 minutes 27 seconds of the second half just as they failed on all six tries in the final 5 minutes, 40 seconds of the first half.

For want of just four 3-pointers over the last two games, the 'Bows could be 5-4 and playing for the Rainbow Classic Championship again tonight. Instead they are 3-6 and will meet Georgia today at 11 a.m. to settle eighth — and last — place. Hardly the sugary meeting with Georgia UH had in mind.

But, then, who knew making themselves at home in their own arena would prove to be so difficult this week?

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.

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