It was "White Out Night" at the Stan Sheriff Center, but one thing that even the largest turnout of the season couldn't blot out was an inability by the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team to finish its Western Athletic Conference game.

With 4,650 fans loudly beseeching them to end a continuing nightmare, the Rainbow Warriors stumbled down a frenetic closing stretch, losing to Boise State, 70-58, in the conference opener last night.

If you are counting — and it is hard not to — the 'Bows have lost seven consecutive games against WAC competition dating to February, three of them to the Broncos.

All but one of them were, in many respects, similar to last night's game, which was within reach for the now 8-5 'Bows until the pratfall at the finish.

This might have been the most frustrating of the bunch for a couple of reasons. For one, it was at home where, if the corner was to be turned, you figured it would take place. And, for another, it suggested that not only does defending champion Boise State, with four new starters, not lost its ability to finish in conference, but that UH, also with four new starters, still hasn't found one.

"We just made too many mental errors down the stretch to be able to beat a WAC champ," head coach Bob Nash acknowledged, terming the experience "disheartening."

After trailing most of the game — and by as many as 11 points — the 'Bows stormed back to tie it at 51 with 9 minutes, 25 seconds remaining.

Then, in an all-too-familiar tale, the 'Bows' game curdled. They were outscored 19-7, making three of their final 13 shots, committing five turnovers and suffering defensive lapses that turned the Broncos loose for easy shots.

Again, UH struggled against a variety of zone defenses that allowed the Broncos to mitigate the 21-point brilliance of Roderick Flemings.

When somebody asked Nash if the 'Bows' rally showed a ray of hope, Nash, to his credit, was buying none of the dreaded, so-called "learning experience" theory. "We're getting tired of experience," Nash said pointedly. "We need results, now. Tonight we didn't get the result we wanted."

Nash said: "We're 11 games in (to the season), 12 games in, 13 games in; we shouldn't be making those kind of errors at this point in time. I take full responsibility for not having these guys ready to execute at the end of the game."

Indeed, it is a new season but the 'Bows have yet to show they can shake a familiar shortcoming in the WAC.

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