With 9 minutes and 17 seconds left in the first half last night, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball game with Fresno State was, for all intents and purposes, over.

Not because the scoreboard — UH 19, Fresno State 4 — hinted it.

And not because the Bulldogs' flagging body language suggested it.

It was over because Roderick Flemings said so. Emphatically.

With back-to-back blocks of a stunned Brandon Sperling in the space of four telltale seconds, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound Flemings decreed the one-sidedness of it, setting a dominating tone in the 69-43 Western Athletic Conference thumping.

Who kept the 'Dogs out?

It was Flemings, who blocked shots (three), rebounded with a purpose (13), dished out assists (four) and, yes, even took a couple of charges in Fresno State's worst loss of a 9-14 (1-7 WAC) season. Oh, and by the way, Flemings also led all scorers with 14 points.

Because of the way he dominated in all facets of the game it just seemed like Flemings had a lot more points in perhaps the Rainbow Warriors' most impressive victory of an 11-11 (3-7 WAC) campaign.

Flemings, who entered the night second in the conference in scoring (17.5 points per game), has had better scoring nights 14 times this season, including a 37-pointer against Eastern Washington. But perhaps none with the well-rounded brilliance of this one. For it was the other, non-scoring, contributions that earned the oohs-and-ahhs of the Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 3,234 and head coach Bob Nash's tongue-in-cheek praise.

"For the first time in his life he took a charge," Nash said in mock disbelief. "Twice. He took two charges."

Flemings took everything Fresno State gave and returned plenty more. Mostly, he showed signs of being the agenda-setting kind of a leader the 'Bows need and Nash has beseeched him to be at this juncture of the season.

"Those things, for a superstar, they just don't do those kind of things," Nash said. "He's starting to understand that he's just another spoke in this wheel. But tonight he stepped up and did all of the little things."

Mostly, he did them in a big, exclamation point way. Flemings had his double-double a minute and 22 seconds into the second half.

When it was over and Fresno State coach Steve Cleveland paused to look at the box score, his index finger went straight to Flemings' line and tapped it.

Words were not necessary. Flemings had said it all.

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