COLLEGE BASKETBALL / NCAA MEN’S TOURNAMENT : WEST REGIONAL / AT OGDEN, UTAH : Hawaii’s Stay Is Short, Not Too Sweet in Loss

They came, they were seen, they went home. If you’re the Rainbows of Hawaii, it’s not a bad bargain.

Making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1972, the Rainbows led fourth seeded Syracuse at the half, 44-41, before succumbing, 92-78.

Hawaii’s senior guard Trevor Ruffin carried his teammates through a first half when he made four three-pointers and scored 15 points.

He finished with 24 points and the respect of the more famous Orangemen, who came over to shake his hand at the end of the game. Lawrence Moten, the Syracuse star, gave him a deep bow in salute.

“He hit some tough shots,” Moten said. “I mean, deep!”

It was the end of a fairy tale for Hawaii, which started the season 0-4, losing by an average of 33 points.

The first loss was by 100-47 to Portland, the university, not the Trail Blazers. This was followed by a 78-49 whacking at the hands of Wake Forest, an 83-48 loss to North Carolina State and a 92-77 defeat by North Carolina.

The Rainbows were 15-14 when they rose to win the Western Athletic Conference tournament, upsetting Brigham Young in Salt Lake City last week.

Missouri 76, Navy 53--Having seen his Tigers booted out in the first round in six of its last eight tournament appearances, Norm Stewart was in no mood to mess around.

With Missouri, seeded No. 1 in the West, trailing No. 16 Navy, 20-19, he yanked his starters for the last five minutes of the half and played the last five subs.

The reserves put on a 9-6 run to put Missouri ahead at halftime. The regulars returned in the second half and put the Midshipmen to the torch.

“I wanted them (his starters) to see if they could do what the other team did,” Stewart said. “That was make an effort.”

Stewart also pulled out a piece of paper at the postgame news conference and read all the names of the first-round games Missouri had won.

Wisconsin 80, Cincinnati 72--Michael Finley scored 22 points including two key three-point plays in the second half as the Badgers, making their first appearance, blew a 12-point lead but held off the tenacious Bearcats. Rashard Griffith, Wisconsin’s 6-foot-11 freshman center, had 22 points and 15 rebounds.