Hawaii Ships CS Long Beach Out, 84-79 : NIT: Rainbow Warriors end 49ers’ season at 23-9. Hawaii will play at New Mexico Thursday night.

Cal State Long Beach’s best basketball season in 16 years came to an end here Tuesday night.

The 49ers lost to the University of Hawaii, 84-79, in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament before a sellout crowd of 7,617 in Blaisdell Arena.

Long Beach finished the season 23-9.

Hawaii (25-9), which will advance to play at New Mexico Thursday night, got three-point plays from Chris Gaines and Vincent Smalls in the last 2:12.

Those gave the Rainbows a 77-72 lead.

Tyrone Mitchell’s two free throws then cut it to 77-74 with 1:09 to play.

But Terry Houston of Hawaii made one of two free throws to make it 78-74.

Frankie Edwards then went to the line for the 49ers with 42 seconds left and made two shots to pul the 49ers within 78-76.

After a Long Beach timeout, the 49ers fouled Houston with 38 seconds left and then called another timeout.

Houston made both ends of a one-and-one.

Long Beach guard Lucious Harris, who had scored only one point in the second half after scoring 15 in the first half, then shot an air ball.

After a scramble, the 49ers got the ball back and Harris was fouled. He made the first shot, missed the second and the 49ers lost the rebound out of bounds.

Gaines clinched the victory with two free throws with 13 seconds left.

The 49ers did not appear intimidated by the screaming Rainbow fans who waved the two-foot-long green leaves of the ti plant for good luck.

After a power move inside by Mitchell, the 49ers had a 13-7 lead with 14:50 left in the first half.

The 49er press bothered Hawaii and forced four early turnovers. With about 12 minutes left in the half, Bobby Sears made a steal in the backcourt that led to a reverse dunk by Troy Joseph that gave the 49ers a 17-13 lead.

Mike Masucci came off the bench to score three baskets for the 49ers, his third giving Long Beach a 26-20 lead.

But Hawaii’s Troy Bowe, the smallest player on the court at 5 feet 10, scored after grabbing a rebound and then, 20 seconds later, he made a driving layup to cut the lead to 26-24 with 8:28 left in the half.

Mitchell was unstoppable inside, but his inability to make free throws--he missed the rim on one attempt--got the crowd and the Rainbows back in the game.

After two missed free throws by Mitchell, Hawaii went on a 6-0 run to take a 30-28 lead as the 49ers had trouble keeping them off the offensive boards.

Mitchell came back with a drive to tie the score at 30-30, then Harris, who had scored 90 points in his last four games, began to take over.

He made two free throws, a layup and a bank shot, then lobbed a perfect pass to Frankie Edwards, who dunked.

That surge, followed by a rebound basket by Masucci, put the 49ers ahead, 42-36.

A bank shot from three-point range at the buzzer by Darrell Faulkner gave the 49ers a 48-43 lead at the half.

Long Beach went into the locker room knowing it was 18-0 this season in games in which the 49ers led at the half.