Hawai’i survives Hawai’i Pacific scare behind Williams’ career night

Hawai’i survives Hawai’i Pacific scare behind Williams’ career night

Nov 26, 2024

Hawai’i G Kody Williams (0) pulls up for a jumper over HPU C Jonas Visser (22) in a contest between the two Mānoa-based programs. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i survives Hawai’i Pacific scare behind Williams’ career night

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 26, 2024

HONOLULU – With the Midas Touch. 

The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team escaped with a narrow 67-63 victory over Hawai’i Pacific University on Tuesday night, using a scorching hot 15-of-31 shooting display from long distance to sink the Sharks. Kody Williams led the effort for the Rainbow Warriors, pouring in a career-best 24 points on 7-of-8 shooting from downtown. 

The Sharks (2-3) were led by senior guard Sherman Brashear, who recorded 22 points and seven rebounds in the loss. Jonas Visser added 14 points and eight boards in what will count as an exhibition for HPU and not as a loss against the record. 

Hawai’i (5-1) saw the game count towards the team’s overall record in what was the final non-Division I matchup on the 2024-25 schedule. The Rainbow Warriors defeated both Hawai’i-Hilo and Chaminade in competitive exhibition games to begin the year before playing against Life Pacific out of the NAIA for the regular season opener in the Rainbow Classic. 

The Sharks came out of the gates looking less like a team in an exhibition and more like a team on a mission, jumping out to an early 11-5 lead behind buckets from Visser and junior guard Joshua West. After an Avi Halpert three pushed the HPU lead to nine, the Rainbow Warriors started to find success as Gytis Nemeikša snapped a near two-minute scoring drought and Ryan Rapp drilled three straight triples to push Hawai’i in front with just under 12 minutes left in the half, 16-14. 

Each side traded baskets over the next few minutes, seeing Hawai’i go in front by as many as four before HPU rattled off a 13-0 run to take a nine-point advantage with 2:39 remaining before the break. Halpert capped the run with an and-one finish through contact, drawing the second foul on UH starting guard Kody Williams while giving the Sharks a 34-25 lead. 

Hawai’i head coach Eran Ganot stuck with Williams despite the foul woes, proving smart as the 6-foot guard drilled a pair of threes in the final two minutes of the half to help pull the Rainbow Warriors within five at the break, 38-33. 

Williams stayed hot through halftime, drilling another two 3-pointers to push Hawai’i back in front just three minutes out of halftime, 40-38. West scored the first points of the second half for HPU with a layup to knot it at 40, but another two triples from Williams helped give the Rainbow Warriors some breathing room with an eight-point lead. 

Nemeikša and Rapp got back in on the fun, adding makes from long range of their own to push Hawai’i’s lead into double figures for the first time with under 12 minutes to play. Sherman Brashear started to heat up for HPU after the under-12-minute media timeout, drilling three straight 3-pointers to bring the Sharks within a handful with 8:52 remaining.

Makes from behind the arc by Pavle Kuzmanovic and Brashear brought the Sharks’ deficit to two with just under three minutes to play as the Division II squad eyed the first win against their Mānoa rivals since 1985. A free throw by Tanner Christensen gave Hawai’i a three-point lead with 2:21 left, but Visser cut it to 62-61 with 36 seconds remaining with his first points since the first half. 

After a timeout, HPU fouled immediately and sent Marcus Greene to the line for a pair of free throws with 29 ticks left on the clock. The senior guard stepped up and drilled both to put the Rainbow Warriors back up by three. 

The Sharks would see their upset dreams dissolve following the team’s final timeout of the night as Charlie Weber tossed it away on a miscommunication with Brasher and Kody Williams hit a couple of foul shots to go up two possessions. Visser made it a three-point game with five seconds left, but Tanner Christensen iced it from the line with a 1-for-2 trip to help Hawai’i survive, 67-63. 

The Rainbow Warriors were able to win for the fifth time in six games at home to open the season despite losing the battle on the glass to the Sharks, 39-38. While UH posted a season-low eight points in the point throughout the night, the 15 makes from long range proved to be the major difference. 

Joshua West chipped in nine points, eight rebounds, a steal and an assist for HPU before fouling out with more than two minutes left in regulation. The Sharks led for nearly half the game and showed off major defensive chops until the end, holding Hawai’i to one made field goal on 13 attempts to close the game. 

The Sharks return to action on Friday, hosting Grace Christian (NAIA) in the first day of the men’s side of the Hoops in Hawaii Classic. The Rainbow Warriors will hit the road for the first time this year, traveling to the continent to face Grand Canyon on December 3. 

Hawai’i rolls by Eastern Washington for Bank of Hawaii Classic crown

Hawai’i rolls by Eastern Washington for Bank of Hawaii Classic crown

Nov 24, 2024

The Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine pose together for a photo after winning the 2024 Bank of Hawaii Classic title. | Photo Credit: Paul Brecht, HSRN

Hawai’i rolls by Eastern Washington for Bank of Hawaii Classic crown

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 24, 2024

HONOLULU – More hardware for the trophy case. 

The University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team won its third straight contest on Sunday, defeating Eastern Washington (1-5) in the final game of the Bank of Hawaii Classic, 67-55. MeiLani McBee led the way for the Rainbow Wahine with 12 points and three steals, swishing four 3-pointers throughout the afternoon to help push UH’s home winning streak to 13 consecutive games. 

The 3-1 start to the season for Hawai’i is the best since 2019 and the first time that the Rainbow Wahine have gone 2-0 in the Bank of Hawaii Classic since 2017. 

The visiting Eagles led only once the entire afternoon, seeing Jaecy Eggers cash in from distance a minute and a half into action to take a 3-2 lead over the Rainbow Wahine. Hawai’i (3-1) retook the lead two minutes later with a Daejah Phillips lay-in and expanded the advantage with some airtight defense as EWU missed on 12 straight field goal attempts. 

Down 12-3, Bella Hays snapped the scoring drought for Eastern Washington with 1:59 left in the first quarter. The Eagles rattled off seven straight points to bring the visitors within a pair, but Imani Perez drilled a three at the buzzer to send Hawai’i into the second quarter leading 15-10. 

Hawai’i would extend the lead to 21-13 by the six-minute mark of the second frame before a 6-0 Eastern Washington run pulled the Eagles back within two with 4:36 left in the half. Out of the mid-quarter media timeout, Phillips got UH’s offense settled back in with layup before a no-look pass from Lily Wahinekapu to Perez on the break gave Hawai’i a six-point advantage with 2:26 to play. 

The Rainbow Wahine took control of the game over the final minute of the half as back-to-back threes by MeiLani McBee, the second of which came off balance on one foot, sent Hawai’i into the locker room leading by double figures, 38-26. 

McBee picked up right where she left off to begin the third quarter, swishing home her third triple of the day before Ritorya Tamilo got on the board for the first time to give Hawai’i the biggest lead of the day, 43-26.  

Eastern Washington stuck around, holding Hawai’i without a basket for five minutes as a pair of threes brought the Eagles closer. Brooklyn Rewers drilled a three of her own with 4:09 remaining in the third to end the Rainbow Wahine scoring drought and Tamilo rolled in a left-handed layup to end the frame and send Hawai’i into the fourth with a double-digit lead in hand. 

Hawai’i kept EWU at arms’ length throughout the fourth, wrapping up the victory late as McBee hit her fourth 3-pointer with 2:53 left and Wahinekapu finished off a layup assisted by Perez to win the Bank of Hawaii Classic title with a 67-55 win. The Rainbow Wahine won the tournament by point-differential over Saint Mary’s, who also went 2-0 on the weekend. 

Peyton Howard led Eastern Washington with 14 points, four rebounds and six assists on her way earning all-tournament team honors. Alexis Pettis and Jaecy Eggers each chipped in nine points apiece for the Eagles, who will host another Big West foe on Wednesday when CSU Bakersfield visits EWU. 

Lily Wahinekapu filled the box sheet with nine points, eight rebounds, four assists and a steal on her way to tournament MVP honors for Hawai’i. Imani Perez was the only Rainbow Wahine player other than McBee to eclipse double figures, posting 11 points to go along with a pair of steals and a block in the win. 

Ritorya Tamilo was held under double-figure points for the first time in her college career, finishing with eight points and two blocks in the true freshman’s third straight start for Laura Beeman. 

Hawai’i will return to action on Friday in the American Savings Bank Rainbow Wahine Showdown, hosting familiar face Avery Watkins and the Fresno State Bulldogs in the first of three games in three days. UT Martin and new national No. 1 UCLA will also participate in the Showdown, kicking off the round-robin tournament with a noon tip-off on Friday. 

Hawai’i stumbles as North Carolina speeds by in Maui Invitational tune up

Hawai’i stumbles as North Carolina speeds by in Maui Invitational tune up

Nov 23, 2024

North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau goes up for a layup contested by Hawai’i forward Harry Rouhliadeff during the 87-69 win for the Tar Heels. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i stumbles as North Carolina speeds by in Maui Invitational tune up

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 23, 2024

HONOLULU – Can’t win them all. 

The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team fell for the first time this season on Friday, seeing the nationally ranked University of North Carolina speed past the Rainbow Warriors, 87-69. The visiting Tar Heels were led by their dynamic starting backcourt, seeing Elliot Cadeau (17 points) and RJ Davis (18 points) shoot a combined 13-for-22 from the field while handing out four assists each in the win. 

“Tough game,” UH head coach Eran Ganot said following the loss. “Obviously, when we were good, we were good and when we were bad, we were really bad. Good teams take advantage of that.” 

It was the bench leading the way for UH, seeing Gytis Nemeikša post his second double-double of the year with a team-high 16 points and 10 rebounds off the pine for the Rainbow Warriors. Akira Jacobs returned to action after missing a game with a foot injury, pouring in 13 points off the bench while drilling three 3-pointers in the loss. 

Hawai’i (4-1) started slowly, hitting only one of the team’s first 10 shots (0-of-5 from 3-point range) as North Carolina raced out to a 13-2 lead over the opening six minutes. Akira Jacobs, who missed UH’s last game against Weber State with a foot injury, checked in for the first time following a media timeout and provided a spark off the bench with eight straight points to keep the Rainbow Warriors within striking distance, trailing 18-10 with 11:30 left to play in the first half. 

“[Akira] gave us a lift when we were down,” Ganot said of Jacobs’ first half minutes. “He’s a great kid who has great skill level at his size and he’s gotten better.” 

As the opening 20 minutes of action continued to tick down, each side traded baskets as Hawai’i’s Tanner Christensen helped secure extra chance after extra chance on the offensive glass to help UH offset the putrid shooting from long distance in the first half. The Rainbow Warriors would pull as close as three, 35-32, with just over a minute until halftime, but back-to-back threes by Davis and Ian Jackson helped the Tar Heels to a 6-2 run before the break to go into the locker room leading by seven. 

Christensen got the action started again with a powerful two-handed slam to open the second half, but again the Rainbow Warriors’ offense went cold to start the half. North Carolina rattled off the next 11 points, spurring a 19-4 run overall to open a 20-point lead over Hawai’i with 13:53 left in regulation. 

“Man, would like the first five minutes of each half back,” Ganot said after the team’s slow offensive start in each period. “Give [UNC] credit there, but I think more than anything that we weren’t getting good shots early because we weren’t making them work. We were playing catch and holding the ball and played against a set defense.” 

Gytis Nemeikša snapped a three-minute field goal drought for Hawai’i, drilling his first 3-pointer of the night with 13:33 left to play and knocking down another one a minute later to pull UH closer, 60-46. He added his third 3-pointer in less than three minutes two possessions later and a pair of free throws to keep the Rainbow Warriors within striking distance with 10:27 remaining. 

Cadeau settled things down for the Tar Heels, scoring eight points to bookend a 14-6 run by the visitors and push the lead back up to 20 with just over four minutes to play. Hawai’i’s last gasp push saw them pull with 14 with two minutes to go, but North Carolina quickly shut down UH’s comeback hopes as Cade Tyson drilled a triple for the last of his nine points with 1:56 left to help the Tar Heels to an 87-69 win. 

North Carolina got to the paint at will, scoring 44 of the 87 points in the lane as the speed of the guards was displayed all night. Behind Cadeau and Davis, Seth Trimble chipped in 13 points while Ian Jackson poured in 11 points off the bench for the Tar Heels. 

Hawai’i won the rebounding battle by 13 and had 15 offensive rebounds, but the Rainbow Warriors were only able to convert those into 14 second-chance points. UH also committed 13 turnovers in the loss that led to 17 extra points for North Carolina. 

“You saw the power of what they do when they get a miss or a turnover,” Ganot said. “They dominated us at the rim, versus what we were doing at the rim.” 

Tanner Christensen recorded his first double-double as a Rainbow Warrior in the loss, tallying 10 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes. Marcus Greene added 10 points and four assists off the bench for Hawai’i. 

“The character of our team is really good,” Ganot stated. “But obviously we have work to do and that’s a great challenge.” 

UH returns to action on Tuesday, hosting Hawai’i Pacific University out of Division II’s PacWest Conference. North Carolina will head over to Maui for the 2024 Maui Invitational presented by Novavax, preparing to face Dayton to close out the opening round of the tournament on Monday. 

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North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau goes up for a layup contested by Hawai’i forward Harry Rouhliadeff during the 87-69 win for the Tar Heels. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

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Hawai’i holds off Louisiana-Monroe in Bank of Hawaii Classic opener

Hawai’i holds off Louisiana-Monroe in Bank of Hawaii Classic opener

Nov 22, 2024

Lily Wahinekapu (3) and Ritorya Tamilo (24) greet teammates while coming back to the bench during UH’s 69-64 win over Louisiana-Monroe. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i holds off Louisiana-Monroe in Bank of Hawaii Classic opener

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 22, 2024

HONOLULU – Home, sweet home. 

The Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine finally returned to action after a near-two-week layoff, grounding the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in the first game of the 2024 Bank of Hawaii Classic on Friday, 69-64, behind 20 points from Lily Wahinekapu. The victory extended the Rainbow Wahine home winning streak to 12 games, dating back to last season.  

Wahinekapu added five rebounds and five assists to go along with her team-high 20 points, hitting a key step back jumper with 38 seconds to play to give UH some needed breathing room to close out the win. Freshman center Ritorya Tamilo continued to be a dynamo to start her Rainbow Wahine career, reaching double figures for the third time in three games as she tallied 12 points, eight rebounds, three steals and five blocks in 27 minutes of work. 

Much to the delight of about 1,200 screaming keiki there to celebrate “Education Day” for the program, Hawai’i (2-1) jumped out to an early 16-11 lead through 10 minutes behind a pair of makes from long distance behind Wahinekapu. With a strange 11 a.m. start time, the added energy from the local elementary school students provided the lift for UH to get off the ground early. 

“You know, 1,200 screaming kids made it a really fun day today,” Hawai’i head coach Laura Beeman said in gratitude to the local schools that came out. “I thought they really came through to give us the energy to start the game and then [again later] in a very tight third quarter when we kind of lost some intensity, it was nice to hear them.” 

Wahinekapu continued her hot shooting from distance into the second quarter, pushing the Rainbow Wahine lead to 12 with her third triple of the opening half and forcing UL-M to call for timeout with 5:51 left before the break. Tamilo helped keep the advantage in double digits heading into halftime with six points of her own, adding a pair of steals and blocks to lead a Hawai’i defense that held Louisiana-Monroe to 36 percent shooting from the floor. 

It looked like Hawai’i was going to run away with it to begin the third after Tamilo tapped away a steal and Daejah Phillips raced down the floor and pushed the lead to 16, forcing another timeout by the Warhawks with 6:08 left in the frame. The break in the action proved important for the visitors, settling in and outscoring Hawai’i 20-6 over the final six minutes of the quarter to head into the fourth only trailing by a pair, 52-50. 

Wahinekapu and Phillips provided separation on the scoreboard to begin the final frame while Tamilo again was a defensive nightmare to challenge in the paint for Louisiana-Monroe, recording her fifth and final block to maintain a six-point lead with 4:14 left in regulation. 

Still, UL-M would not relent. The Warhawks outscored the Rainbow Wahine, 11-6, over the next three and a half minutes as Meloney Thames’ tough finish pulled Louisiana-Monroe back within one with 47 seconds to play and forced Beeman to call timeout.

With a big bucket needed, it would again be Wahinekapu being asked to make a play for Hawai’i. Following the timeout, that’s exactly what she did. 

The senior guard worked her way to the middle of the floor and drove towards the foul line before she stepped back and calmly cashed a midrange jumper to the delight of the keiki and fans in attendance for the rare Friday matinee game, giving Hawai’i a 66-63 lead with 37.9 seconds to play. 

After UL-M split a pair of free throws, Wahinekapu split a pair of her own before Phillips snatched the miss out of a crew of players and swung the ball to MeiLani McBee to ice the win with a couple makes from the line, 69-64. 

Louisiana-Monroe was led by Jakayla Johnson, who poured in a game-high 25 points for the Warhawks. The senior guard drilled 4-of-11 tries from long distance and went 9-of-10 from the charity stripe, causing issues all afternoon for the Hawai’i defense. 

Daejah Phillips was the third and final Rainbow Wahine player to eclipse double figures on the day, pouring in 13 points and six assists in the victory. The starters carried the load for Hawai’i, scoring 59 of the 69 total points by the team. 

Hawai’i returns to action on Sunday, taking on defending Big Sky champion Eastern Washington in the final day of the Bank of Hawaii Classic. It will be the first meeting between the Rainbow Wahine and the Eagles since 2000, when UH beat EWU in Mānoa, 81-59. 

Hawai’i wears down Weber State in physical overtime win

Hawai’i wears down Weber State in physical overtime win

Nov 17, 2024

Hawai’i guard Ryan Rapp looks to make a pass during a home game. The senior captain made his season debut on Sunday, returning from a hand injury that sidelined him for the first three games of the season. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i wears down Weber State in physical overtime win

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 17, 2024

HONOLULU – Grown-man ball. 

The University of Hawai’i (4-0) kept a perfect start to the season intact Sunday night, using graduate center Tanner Christensen’s 25 points and some airtight second-half defense to work past Weber State (1-3) in overtime, 73-68. The Rainbow Warriors held the Wildcats to nine total made field goals in the second half and overtime periods, allowing just 29 percent shooting by the visitors after the midway break. 

Harry Rouhliadeff sparked a second half comeback for Hawai’i, scoring 11 of his 12 points after halftime and adding another strong defensive presence down low as Christensen dealt with foul woes down the stretch. Gytis Nemeikša added 10 points and a team-best eight rebounds and two blocks off the bench for Hawai’i, who opened the season winning the first four games for the second straight year. 

“[Tonight] was a game that tested us, obviously,” UH head coach Eran Ganot said after the win over Weber State. “[A test] that we did not pass very well early, but at the most critical time, we did.” 

The Rainbow Warriors jumped out to an early 9-5 lead, seeing Marcus Greene make an immediate impact as he drilled a three-pointer less than three minutes into the action. The senior guard slid into the starting lineup for sophomore Akira Jacobs, who missed his first game of the season dealing with a right foot injury. 

Weber State found better offensive footing following the night’s first media timeout, scoring 21 points over the next 12 minutes while shutting down drives to the paint from UH guards looking to score. Christensen shouldered the offensive load for an otherwise ice-cold Hawai’i, scoring 16 straight points for the hosts to keep the game within a single tally, 26-25, with 4:58 left in the opening half. 

After Christensen left the floor following a pair of makes from the charity stripe with under five minutes until the break, the Wildcats took advantage, building back up the lead with a three-point play by Blaise Threatt and a triple from Viljami Vartiainen coming in back-to-back possessions. Christensen re-entered and stopped the WSU momentum with a putback to close the half with Hawai’i down a few possessions, 38-31. 

It was the third straight game Hawai’i entered the intermission trailing, seeing significant troubles defensively manifest into allowing Weber State to shoot 58.6 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes of action. While six different Wildcats had recorded multiple made field goals in the first half, Christensen was the only Rainbow Warrior to achieve that same feat as he scored 20 of the 31 points for UH on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting. 

The offense continued to struggle immediately out of halftime, making one of four shots and turning the ball over four times in the opening five minutes out of the break. Following the timeout with 15:43 left in regulation, Hawai’i began to wake up again as Christensen got another bucket and forced a steal that led to a Greene layup to pull with six. 

Harry Rouhliadeff sparked the Hawai’i crowd with 12:20 left to play as he drilled the Rainbow Warriors’ second three-point make of the night and first since the opening minutes before dropping off a nice pass to a cutting Nemeikša to pull UH within a bucket, 45-42. 

“Everybody will ask where did [the comeback] start from and it started with Harry,” said Ganot of the junior forward’s impact. “He stood guys up [defensively] when they were trying to back him down, he blocked out, he rebounded, he played tough and it got the rest of the guys [going].” 

Kody Williams extended the momentum swing, pulling Hawai’i within a basket with a pair of free throws before giving UH its first lead since the 14-minute mark of the first half by drilling a three-pointer with 6:37 to play in regulation. 

The Wildcats and Rainbow Warriors continued a wild back-and-forth down the stretch, trading the lead five times before Christensen tied the game with a clutch finish through contact with six seconds to play. The defense held for UH, seeing Threatt’s runner bounced off the backboard as Hawai’i headed to overtime for the first time in the 2024-25 season. 

“Our identity was forged in the second half – or re-discovered,” Ganot said. “We defend and rebound, and we did not in the first half and that makes it tough to weather some really ugly offensive play at times … Second half, [Weber State] shot 24 percent from the field, zero percent from three, we won the boards by nine, we won the winning plays in the second when we didn’t in the first half and that was why we won.” 

Rouhliadeff gave the Rainbow Warriors the first lead of the extra period, splitting a pair of free throws on the first possession for UH. Weber State guard Miguel Tomley came back and drilled his only three-pointer of the night to give the Wildcats their only lead of the overtime session with four and a half minutes to play. 

Senior captain Ryan Rapp, who made his season debut after he missed the first three games of the year with a hand injury, tied the game at 60 on the next possession as Hawai’i continued fighting. The battle got slightly tougher on the next play as Christensen was whistled for his fifth foul with 3:36 left, sending Hawai’i’s most reliable scoring option to the bench for the remainder of the night. 

Again, it was Rouhliadeff providing the lift as he gave Hawai’i the lead for good with a pair of swishes from the free throw line with just over three minutes to play. The 6-foot-9 junior came up with a big block on the other end before Nemeikša finished off a quick dish from Rapp to make it a four-point game. 

The Rainbow Warriors got the needed breathing room to close out the win with another stop and three makes from the free throw line, seeing Weber State head coach Eric Duft assessed a technical foul after Nemeikša drew a foul with under two minutes left. The cushion proved to be enough as Hawai’i held on, 73-68. 

Weber State guard Blaise Threatt led all scorers with 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting, adding nine rebounds in a losing effort for the Wildcats. The visitors, selected to finish third in the Big Sky preseason poll, were whistled for 28 fouls throughout the night and saw both starting center Alex Tew and backup center Vasilije Vucinic foul out by the overtime period. 

Tom Beattie added 10 points, grabbed six rebounds and had four assists in the win for Hawai’i, knocking down 8-of-10 attempts from the foul line. The Rainbow Warriors went 26-for-40 as a team from the charity stripe, drawing 29 fouls against the Wildcats. 

Hawai’i now sets sights on the marquee matchup of its non-conference schedule, preparing to host No. 10 North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 22 with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Warriors have never beaten the Tar Heels and last met in November of 2016, seeing Hawai’i fall 83-68 to the eventual national champions.