Stan Sheriff Center: Whitlock’s BYU beater at the buzzer stands alone for Hawaii basketball

When Tes Whitlock hit a shot beyond 20 feet as time expired to beat BYU in 1995, it was not the first or last decisive buzzer bomb in University of Hawaii basketball history.

Trevor Ruffin, Bobby Nash, Petras Balocka, Hauns Brereton (and Joston Thomas), Garrett Jefferson, Keith Shamburger, Roderick Bobbitt, Noah Allen and Leland Green are among those who also made big shots to win games or extend them as the clock ran out.

But Whitlock’s stands out alone to many who follow the Rainbows, like it happened yesterday. It ranks No. 2 in the Star-Advertiser’s sports staff’s voting on the most memorable athletic events in the 25-year history of the Stan Sheriff Center and is featured in today’s editions.

Whitlock’s shot is at the 2:13 mark of this video of last year’s UH Sports Circle of Honor inductees, with new CoH member Jim Leahey on the call:

Whitlock was one of the most talented players to come through Manoa, having scored 68 points in a high school game. He arrived at UH after Arizona State and Saddleback College.

Whitlock led the ‘Bows in scoring both of his seasons, with 16.3 in 1994-95 and 17.5 in ’95-96.

After college he played in various leagues, trying to make it to the NBA.

“The D-League, the IBA, the ABA, the ZBA, the you-name-it-B-A,” Whitlock said.

“All sports dreams don’t come true.”

But one certainly did for Whitlock and the ‘Bows nearly 25 years ago, in their new arena and against their hated rivals.