A late start got Matt Gibson in trouble last Saturday.

On Monday, a non-start by Gibson sparked the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team to a 69-61 victory over Utah State.

A crowd of 3,746 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the Rainbow Warriors rally from a seven-point deficit in the second half to improve to 12-9 overall and 3-5 in the Western Athletic Conference.

Utah State dropped to 15-7 and 4-4 with its second loss in three days.

Gibson, who did not start for the first time this season because of disciplinary reasons, scored 18 of his game-high 20 points in the second half to lead Hawai'i.

"I just come out and play hard, what ever role I'm given," Gibson said. "I'm going to do what I can to help this team win."

Gibson, a 6-foot-5 junior point guard, woke up late last Saturday and missed the team's morning practice. He played 23 minutes off the bench last night, and the 20 points matched his season-high.

"Matt Gibson turned up his energy level and he hit a couple of shots and felt it and was able to score in the second half," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said.

Bobby Nash added 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, and Matt Lojeski had 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the 'Bows. Lojeski was also primarily responsible on defense for limiting Utah State guard Jaycee Carroll to 13 points — eight below his average.

"Matt Lojeski did a great job," Gibson said. "I guarantee it's hard to make your shots when on one end you're running around, chasing a guy like Jaycee."

The game went back and forth for the first 30 minutes, but Gibson put the 'Bows in control for the final 10.

The score was tied at 25 at intermission, with neither team shooting well. Hawai'i shot 38.5 percent from the field in the first half, while Utah State shot 36.4 percent.

"The first half was a grind-it kind of game," Wallace said. "They know us just like we know them. We shadow each other because (Utah State coach) Stew Morrill and I, our teams have played each other for so many years."

The Aggies went on a 9-2 run midway through the second half to take a 45-38 lead with 10:19 remaining. Moments later, Utah State's Chaz Spicer missed a dunk, igniting the Sheriff Center crowd.

"We got a little bit of a lead, and we miss a dunk, and seemed to go south from there," Morrill said. "They played a lot better than we did in the second half. It's pretty simple."

Gibson made sure of it. He scored 11 points during a 13-2 run that gave Hawai'i a 51-47 lead with 6:08 remaining.

"Sometimes, you feel it," he said. "I did what I can."

Morrill said of Gibson: "He got going. We couldn't guard him."

The 'Bows increased the lead to 58-50 with 4:03 remaining, and the Aggies never got closer than seven the rest of the way.

Hawai'i's rally came with its best big man, starting center Ahmet Gueye, on the bench. He picked up his fourth foul with 12:52 remaining, and never returned to the game because the "small" Hawai'i lineup was rallying.

"We work on it in practice," Nash said. "I play the (power forward) in practice, so it's nothing new."

Another key to the rally was junior forward P.J. Owsley. He finished with nine points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

"Owsley, the second half, stepped it up defensively," Wallace said.

Gueye finished with five points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots.

Spicer led the Aggies with 18 points and nine rebounds. Carroll's 13 points came on 5-of-13 shooting. The 6-2 junior entered the game leading the WAC with 20.8 points per game.

"Lojeski's a little longer at 6-6, so if he tracks him ... then (Carroll) is not going to get that jumper on Lojeski," Wallace said.

The Aggies finished the game with a season-low .353 field-goal percentage. Hawai'i shot 47.2 percent.

'BOWS NOT ON ESPN; DRAW LONG BEACH STATE

Hawai'i was not selected to participate in one of the 13 televised games of the ESPN BracketBusters on Monday.

Hawai'i will still get to play a nonconference road game at Long Beach State on Feb. 17, although that game will not be considered part of the BracketBusters.

The 49ers are 13-6 overall and 4-2 in the Big West Conference. They are 8-0 at home this season.

Four WAC teams were selected for televised BracketBusters games: Albany will play at Boise State; Northern Iowa will play at Nevada; Ohio is at New Mexico State; Utah State will play at Oral Roberts.

NOTES

The Hawai'i football team, led by quarterback Colt Brennan and head coach June Jones, was recognized at halftime of Monday's game. The Warriors received a standing ovation, and then performed their haka dance.

The 'Bows are scheduled to depart Honolulu early Tuesday morning for a two-game road trip. They will play WAC games at Fresno State on Thursday, and then at Nevada on Saturday.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.