Hawaii Pacific hangs triple digits on Northwest Indian College in home opener

Hawaii Pacific hangs triple digits on Northwest Indian College in home opener

Nov 10, 2026

Hawaii Pacific hangs triple digits on Northwest Indian College in home opener

Franciz Wai flies for a two-handed jam in a dominant win for Hawaii Pacific. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

 

HONOLULU – Buckets by the bunch.

For the first time in four seasons under head coach Jesse Nakanishi, the Hawaii Pacific University men’s basketball team eclipsed triple digits in the scoring department as the Sharks took down Northwest Indian College in the 2026-27 home opener on Monday night, 112-80.

HPU saw seven players finish with 10 or more points, led by senior Avi Halpert’s 16 points on 5-for-6 shooting and three made 3-pointers. The Sharks drained 16 triples as a group, shooting 50% from distance while seven different players connected at least once from beyond the arc.

Northwest Indian College actually took an early lead over the Sharks, seeing Tyasin Burns drain one from long range to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead over HPU after 90 seconds of action. It was one of 11 connections from distance on the night for NWIC, eight of which came during the opening 20 minutes.

The lead lasted all of 12 seconds for the Eagles as Ike Sutton came down the other way and quickly drilled the first of his three makes from 3-point range to put Hawaii Pacific ahead for good.

NWIC remained within striking distance over the first five and a half minutes of the game, seeing buckets from Kalaheo alum Keenan Kahoekapu and Castle alum Josiah Shinbara keep the Eagles within a few points of the Sharks.

HPU turned on the gas after the night’s first media timeout, extending the lead to double figures by the 10-minute mark of the opening half. Halpert and Sutton then took turns tormenting the defense and a few Franciz Wai drives to the rim helped the Sharks open up a 60-42 advantage heading into the break.

The defense ticked up a notch after halftime for Hawaii Pacific as the hosts held NWIC to 36% shooting from the field in the second half. Nemanja Sarenac started to heat up offensively as well, draining three straight 3-pointers to extend the lead to 25 for the Sharks by the under-12-minute media timeout.

Nemanja Sarenac jogs back after drilling a 3-pointer for Hawaii Pacific. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

With a sizable lead in hand, Hawaii Pacific started to see what players outside of the usual rotation could bring as Nate Orr V, Eric Ahlers II, Shinichi Itoh and Shawn Villanea found themselves getting minutes down the stretch.

Itoh got in on the long-range fun with a few triples and Ahlers pushed the Sharks over the 100-point mark with a layup with five minutes remaining in regulation. Villanea, who redshirted last season with HPU, cashed in a right-wing three ball for the final bucket of the night and his first points as a Shark.

All five starters finished in double figures for Hawaii Pacific, seeing Ike Sutton and Nemanja Sarenac each tally 13 points while Marino Dubravcic and Will Woodward each had 10 points and eight rebounds in the victory.

Shinichi Itoh had his first double-digit scoring game as a Shark as he added 11 points off the bench while Nate Orr V had 10 points and four assists in 14 minutes of action.

Shinichi Itoh handles the rock in his first double-digit scoring outing with Hawaii Pacific. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Northwest Indian College was led by Kaneohe product Keenan Kahoekapu, who scored a game-high 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting while collecting four rebounds for the Eagles. Castle alum Josiah Shinbara chipped in eight points in his return to the islands while Nanakuli alum Zion Donnell had two points in 11 minutes of work.

Guards Tyasin Burns and Bishop Hardman also finished in double figures for the Eagles, scoring 15 and 13 points respectively in the loss. Northwest Indian College will wrap up its trip to the islands on Tuesday night as they head down the road to take on Chaminade at 7 p.m. HT.

Hawaii Pacific will be back in action on Friday, November 15 for the start of the Hawaii-Alaska Challenge, facing off with Alaska Anchorage inside the Shark Tank as they look to go over .500 for the first time this season.

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Nov 7, 2026

PEARL CITY – For the 15th time in program history, the Waipahu Marauders stand atop the OIA football ranks. Behind a four-touchdown showing from star sophomore quarterback Jake Garcia, the Waipahu varsity football team cruised to a dominant 42-7...

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Nov 4, 2026

Rainbow Warriors seek consecutive wins for the first time this season as former WAC rivals meet for the first time in 22 yearsComing off its most complete performance of the season and a much-needed bye week, Hawai‘i returns to action Saturday...

ADVERTISEMENT

Davidson drops 21 to help Hawai’i handle UT-Arlington in OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic

Davidson drops 21 to help Hawai’i handle UT-Arlington in OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic

Nov 9, 2026

Davidson drops 21 to help Hawai’i handle UT-Arlington in OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic

Zack Davidson tosses up a floater over UT-Arlington center Teodor Simic in a 71-62 win by the Rainbow Warriors. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HONOLULU – Old school still works.

Behind a rugged defensive effort and Zack Davidson’s 21-point outing, the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team took down UT-Arlington on the second night of the 60th annual OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic, 71-62.

It marked the eighth consecutive victory in the event and set the Rainbow Warriors up with a chance for a third straight Rainbow Classic crown on Monday night when they take on Portland at 7 p.m. HT. Hawai’i has not won the event in three straight seasons since a run of four Rainbow Classic titles from 2001 through 2004.

Davidson led the way with 21 points for the tournament hosts, scoring 14 points after halftime to help Hawai’i pull away from the Mavericks after a rock fight of a first half. It was the junior’s fifth career game with 20 or more points and his first in a UH uniform.

“You’d have to go back, dust some film from the 50s and 60s to find a throwback like him in some ways,” Hawai’i head coach Eran Ganot said about Davidson. “Angles, touch and physicality and intelligence … To a man, [the team] will tell you that [Davidson], whether it’s in the weight room, on the track, in the film room, questions, in the practice gym, he wants to be good. Usually, guys who want to be good, find a way to be good.”

Hawai’i (3-0) got off to a solid start against UT-Arlington, holding the Mavericks to a singular made field goal across the opening 12 minutes on the way to 19-6 lead. Six different Rainbow Warriors scored over that stretch, seeing Chance Trujillo lead the charge with a pair of makes from behind the arc.

The teams swapped roles for the final eight minutes of the first half, seeing UH connect on 2-of-14 shots from the field over the stretch as UTA took advantage of a discombobulated offensive attack from the hosts to work back and tie the game at 27 going into the break.

“I thought the first five minutes, the passion we played with … Complimentary basketball, offense was flowing, the defense was really effective and the rebounding,” Ganot said of the up-and-down opening half. “I think we missed some wide-open threes, and we missed some layups around the rim, and then it becomes how do we handle that? We don’t live and die by the three, we couldn’t make a three. We lived and died by the three a little bit [in the first half] because we started forcing the issue offensively rather than continue to get the good shots, which gave [UT-Arlington] life.”

The Mavericks kept the momentum rolling after halftime, taking a four-point lead through four minutes of action as big man Niko Bundalo and guard Tristan Hankins got loose for eight of the first 11 points for UTA during the stretch.

Bol Dengdit helped settle down Hawai’i with a few tough buckets in the paint while Davidson sat on the bench with three fouls, bringing the hosts back even with the Mavericks until Davidson returned about midway through the second half.

Then it was the Dengdit and Davidson show.

The two frontcourt starters combined for 27 of their 36 total points after halftime, seeing five straight buckets from the two help open up an eight-point advantage for the Rainbow Warriors with under eight minutes left to play.

Jaden Matingou added an and-one finish and a two-handed slam on the fast break to extend the lead to a game-high 14 points with 4:24 remaining.

UT-Arlington made it difficult down the stretch for Hawai’i, scoring 10 of the next 12 points to pull back within six with just under 90 seconds left in regulation. The Rainbow Warriors recovered and took care of business at the charity stripe though, making 7-of-8 from the line to clinch the 71-62 victory over the Mavericks and set up a championship chance on Monday night against Portland.

Four Rainbow Warriors finished in double figures in the win, led by Davidson’s 21 points. Dengdit scored 15 points while Chance Trujillo and Jaden Matingou each chipped in 12 points. Dengdit finished as a team-best plus-16 in his 29 minutes of action while Matingou was a plus-12 in 35 minutes of work.

“I thought at the 10-minute mark to the end of the half, we just started playing our brand [of basketball],” Ganot said of his team’s performance after halftime. “Zack was huge, Chance started to make great assists, great plays for our bigs and our frontcourt did a nice job in the second half. Obviously, really pleased with our free throw shooting late.”

Zack Davidson, Bol Dengdit & Kellen Hampton help up Jaden Matingou following an and-one finish in the second half. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i held the two-headed frontcourt monster of 6-foot-10 forward Niko Bundalo and 7-foot-1 center Teodor Simic to eight and seven points respectively, just two nights after the duo combined for 42 points in an 89-85 win over Portland on Friday.

“We challenged our bigs a little bit … We play inside-out and we haven’t won the paint, and I think they took ownership of that and were fired up and ready to go,” Ganot responded when asked about limiting the UTA duo. “I think [our frontcourt] took some ownership of the paint and I’m happy for them … I mean they’re a really good rebounding team and we were plus-five [on the glass].”

Hawai’i will look to keep its winning ways going on Monday night against Portland, who took down Bethesda, 130-56, earlier on Sunday after falling to the Mavericks on Friday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. HT and can be watched on K5 or the MW+ app.

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Nov 7, 2026

PEARL CITY – For the 15th time in program history, the Waipahu Marauders stand atop the OIA football ranks. Behind a four-touchdown showing from star sophomore quarterback Jake Garcia, the Waipahu varsity football team cruised to a dominant 42-7...

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Nov 4, 2026

Rainbow Warriors seek consecutive wins for the first time this season as former WAC rivals meet for the first time in 22 yearsComing off its most complete performance of the season and a much-needed bye week, Hawai‘i returns to action Saturday...

ADVERTISEMENT

Kapolei hits Mililani with perfect storm to snatch OIA Open crown

Kapolei hits Mililani with perfect storm to snatch OIA Open crown

Nov 8, 2026

Kapolei hits Mililani with perfect storm to snatch OIA Open crown

Kapolei RB Chazz-Michael Kapahu flexes after scoring one of his two touchdowns in the OIA Open Division Championship game against Mililani. | Photo Credit: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

MILILANI – The recipe for success never changed for the Kapolei Hurricanes.

Suffocate opposing offenses with the best defense in the state and play smashmouth football offensively with the top running game in the entire Open Division.

That combination helped top-seeded Kapolei cruise to a 29-10 victory over second-seeded Mililani in the OIA Open Division championship game on Saturday night at John Kauinana Stadium, delivering the first league title in program history for the Hurricanes.

Senior tailback Chazz-Michael “Mikey” Kapahu turned up for a season-high 245 rushing yards, 214 of which came after halftime, while taking two trips to the endzone for a Kapolei squad that smashed a talented Mililani group after the midway break.

“I just knew that I had to run harder, faster and better,” Kapahu stated about his incredible second-half performance.

After a scoreless opening quarter that saw both defenses stand tall, Mililani scratched ahead with a three-yard touchdown run from Toa Sam about midway through the second frame. Kapolei responded after an unnecessary roughness penalty against the Trojans that pushed them into the redzone on the ensuing drive, knotting the game at 7-7 as Hurricanes QB Jonez Nunuha floated an 18-yard pass into the arms of senior Noah Papu-Muaava with 35 second left in the opening half.

Mililani was able to take a 10-7 lead into the break after senior wideout Damen Nakagawa took a first-down pass 52 yards into Kapolei territory. A penalty against the Hurricanes put the Trojans on the Kapolei 19 and allowed Mililani to tack on a 29-yard field goal as time expired.

Kapolei wasted little time taking its first lead of the night after play resumed, needing just two handoffs to Kapahu to cruise ahead as the senior running back took the second play of the third quarter on a 73-yard sprint to the endzone to put the Hurricanes ahead, 14-10.

“The safeties took a bad angle, and I just ran,” Kapahu said of the go-ahead score to open the third frame.

The two squads traded punts before Kapahu did it again with 5:15 left in the third quarter, bursting through for a 56-yard run and taking a direct snap 30 yards on the very next play to extend the lead to 12 for the Hurricanes.

Kapolei’s defense delivered a backbreaking blow on the next possession, seeing defensive back Hayden Hose wrestle the ball away from Mililani wide receiver Zion White for the second interception of the night by the Hurricanes. It marked the first time this season that any team had snagged multiple interceptions from star Mililani junior quarterback Hunter Fujikawa, who entered the night with three total interceptions through 10 games.

“I think, and maybe I’m biased, that we have the best defense in the state,” Kapolei head coach Darren Hernandez said of the unit’s performance. “We’re only giving up seven points a game, we have not given up a 100-yard rusher this year, we’ve had four shutouts of solid, Open Division-type teams.”

Using the offense’s jumbo package, Kapolei drained the remainder of the third quarter and took four minutes off the fourth quarter clock with 12 straight running plays before Zeph Salis smashed into the endzone for his lone touchdown on the night to make it a 29-10 lead for the Hurricanes.

The defense did not let up from there, holding Mililani’s high-powered attack down for the remainder of the night as Kapolei completed the climb to the top of the OIA Open Division mountain for the first time in program history.

The Hurricanes racked up 308 yards on the ground and suffocated the Trojans, allowing just 14 rushing yards and 260 yards of total offense to the top offense in the Open Division. Junior linebacker CJ Higa led the way for the Kapolei defense, tallying six solo tackles while Hayden Hose had six tackles (five solo) and an interception.

It marked the culmination of a long, trying journey for the Hurricanes under head coach Darren Hernandez, who had been on the doorstep of bringing home a trophy multiple times before ultimately coming up short.

“We’re a team that last year, we got denied on the one-yard line. The year before we had a 28-point lead on Campbell in the semis and collapsed and lost that game,” Hernandez responded when asked about when he allowed himself to believe his program was finally going to win the league title. “We worry until the final whistle, until it’s over.”

 This time, Kapolei snatched the crown and didn’t let go.

“As I said earlier, it was going to be a war of attrition and they just kept working hard at it,” Hernandez continued. “I’m just so proud of them.”

Mililani QB Hunter Fujikawa was held to 246 yards and tossed two interceptions as the Stanford commit completed a season-low 59.5% of his pass attempts. Senior wide receiver Damen Nakagawa led the way with seven catches for 120 yards for the Trojans while sophomore Ashton Grace chipped in three receptions for 31 yards in the loss.

Both teams will advance into next weekend’s 2026 Hawaii Army National Guard Football Open Division championship tournament. Mililani will take on ILH champion Kamehameha-Kapālama while top-seeded Kapolei will take on Kahuku, who took down Campbell in the OIA Open third-place game earlier Saturday night.

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Nov 7, 2026

PEARL CITY – For the 15th time in program history, the Waipahu Marauders stand atop the OIA football ranks. Behind a four-touchdown showing from star sophomore quarterback Jake Garcia, the Waipahu varsity football team cruised to a dominant 42-7...

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Nov 4, 2026

Rainbow Warriors seek consecutive wins for the first time this season as former WAC rivals meet for the first time in 22 yearsComing off its most complete performance of the season and a much-needed bye week, Hawai‘i returns to action Saturday...

ADVERTISEMENT

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Nov 7, 2026

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Waipahu HC Bryson Carvalho enjoys a Gatorade bath after leading Marauders to big win in the 2026 OIA Division I championship. | Photo Credit: CJ Caraang

PEARL CITY – For the 15th time in program history, the Waipahu Marauders stand atop the OIA football ranks.

Behind a four-touchdown showing from star sophomore quarterback Jake Garcia, the Waipahu varsity football team cruised to a dominant 42-7 victory over Aiea on Friday night at Pearl City High School to claim the 2026 OIA Division I title.

Waipahu (11-1, 9-0 league) struck first, capitalizing on a fumble at midfield by Na Ali’i quickly as Garcia dropped a 49-yard dime to wide receiver Jayse Braun to help grab an 8-0 lead for the Marauders just over three minutes into the action.

Aiea responded with a touchdown of their own at the start of the second quarter, seeing Caizel Jesus-Kapesi connect with wideout Keola Spruill on the first play of the frame for a 16-yard score, bringing Na Ali’i back within one after a slow opening quarter.

That was the closest that Aiea would get, seeing Waipahu answer back on the next drive with the help of a personal foul penalty against Na Ali’i that extended a drive into the redzone for the Marauders. After the flag on Aiea pushed the top seed into the red zone, senior Arona Liaina mashed his way into the endzone from 10 yards out to extend the Waipahu lead to 14-7 with 6:50 left in the first half.

It was the first of two touchdowns in the opening half by Liaina, who also capped off the final drive for Waipahu before halftime with three straight direct snap runs to make it a 20-7 advantage at the break for the Marauders.

Aiea got the kickoff to begin the third quarter, but Waipahu forced a turnover on downs at midfield and promptly added onto the team’s lead with the second Garcia-to-Braun scoring connection on the night as the QB-WR duo hooked up for a 56-yard score.

Lyric Anuenue snagged his only catch of the night later in the frame for a five-yard touchdown and Garcia chipped in his fourth total touchdown of the Division I championship just over a minute later to give a 42-7 lead to the Marauders, starting the mercy-rule moving clock heading into the fourth quarter.

The final frame flew by as neither team found their way to the endzone, seeing a calm finish to a dominant display by Waipahu.

Garcia wrapped up the night with over 300 yards of total offense, completing 13-of-20 pass attempts for 255 yards, three touchdown tosses and his third interception of the year. The sophomore also added 68 yards and another score with his legs as he helped deliver Waipahu’s fifth league championship under longtime head coach Bryson Carvalho.

Sophomore wide receiver Jayse Braun made the most of his four catches, racking up 160 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns for the Marauders. Senior running back Tristan Pacheco also had a solid night, running for a game-high 75 yards across 12 carries while chipping in a catch for 11 yards as well.

Waipahu senior linebacker Christopher Togiai flew all over the field in the title matchup, racking up 12 tackles (8 solo) for a defense that allowed just a single score throughout the entire night. Arona Liaina added four tackles to go along with his 39 rushing yards and two touchdowns, doing work on both sides of the ball to help extend the win streak to 10 for the Marauders.

Aiea sophomore quarterback Caizel Jesus-Kapesi had an up-and-down evening against the top seed in the Division I tournament, completing 16-of-27 passes for 151 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while also losing a fumble in the loss.

Senior Legend Byrd-Tauala tallied 49 yards rushing and another 29 yards receiving for the Aiea offense and also chipped in an interception and five solo tackles for Na Ali’i defensively.

Both teams will still advance to the 2026 Hawaii Army National Guard Football Division I championship tournament, which starts next weekend. Waipahu won the Division I state title in 2023, which was the last time the Marauders stood alone at the top of the OIA Division I ranks as well.

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Nov 7, 2026

PEARL CITY – For the 15th time in program history, the Waipahu Marauders stand atop the OIA football ranks. Behind a four-touchdown showing from star sophomore quarterback Jake Garcia, the Waipahu varsity football team cruised to a dominant 42-7...

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Nov 4, 2026

Rainbow Warriors seek consecutive wins for the first time this season as former WAC rivals meet for the first time in 22 yearsComing off its most complete performance of the season and a much-needed bye week, Hawai‘i returns to action Saturday...

ADVERTISEMENT

Massive second half from Mellor delivers Kalaheo to first-ever OIA crown

Massive second half from Mellor delivers Kalaheo to first-ever OIA crown

Nov 5, 2026

Massive second half from Mellor delivers Kalaheo to first-ever OIA crown

The Kalaheo Mustangs celebrate being OIA Division II champions for the first time in program history. | Photo Credit: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

KALIHI – Leave it to the kid going into the Air Force to take a program to new heights.

Behind senior tailback Marquez Mellor’s seventh game of the season with 100 or more rushing yards, the Kalaheo varsity football team claimed the first league title in program history with a 27-13 comeback victory over Kaiser in the OIA Division II championship game at Farrington High School on Thursday night.

Mellor led the way for Kalaheo (10-0, 9-0 league) with 129 yards and two second-half touchdowns, completing the climb to the OIA mountaintop for the Mustangs and continuing the program’s first-ever unbeaten season.

“It’s nothing but a blessing, man,” the Air Force commit said after the win. “I’m so grateful that God has given this opportunity to us … This is nothing short of amazing and I’m so glad I could bring the OIA championship to Kalaheo, but we’re not done. We’re going to keep working.”

After dicing up the Kaiser defense for a career-high 302 yards when the two programs met in early September, Mellor was held in check throughout the first half on Thursday with just seven carries for 36 yards across the opening two quarters.

The Cougars took full advantage of the slow start by Mellor and the Mustangs, grabbing a 13-7 lead over the top seed in the OIA Division II bracket heading into halftime. Junior QB Koa Reis displayed his moxie for Kaiser, powering towards paydirt for the first score of the night in the first quarter before finding Tanner Pada for a 20-yard touchdown pass right before the break.

The six-point halftime deficit marked the first time all season that Kalaheo left the opening 24 minutes without a lead. The previous closest margin at the midway point for the Mustangs was a three-point lead against Castle in the D2 semifinals last weekend.

“I always expect that out of [Kaiser HC Tim Seaman’s teams]. They’re well-coached, he’s a great coach [and] he has a great staff, too,” Kalaheo head coach Jaymason Lee said of the opening half hook thrown by the Cougars. “I knew they were going to come out, they were going to play tough, disciplined football and so I told my boys to prepare for that … We just had to persevere and fight through that adversity.”

Kalaheo took its first lead of the night on the first drive of the second half, marching down the field behind a powerful rushing attack while draining more than six minutes off the third quarter clock. Mellor muscled his way into the endzone to cap off the drive, hammering in a four-yard touchdown run to put the Mustangs up, 14-13.

Kaiser and Kalaheo would trade punts and a pair of turnovers before Mellor gave some breathing room with 6:46 left in the fourth quarter, breaking off a 50-yard scoring scamper to put the top-seeded Mustangs up by eight.

Kalaheo RB Marquez Mellor rumbles down the field during the Mustangs’ 27-13 victory over Kaiser on Thursday night. | Photo Credit: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

The Cougars looked to have some solid momentum towards a potential game-tying score on the ensuing drive, marching out towards midfield before a holding penalty pushed the offense back and forced a punt with just over four minutes left to play.

Kalaheo would milk the clock on the following possession, forcing Kaiser to cook through all three timeouts before punting the ball back to the Cougars with 1:28 remaining in regulation.

Starting at their own two-yard line, Kaiser tried to fight through increased defensive pressure but instead saw Koa Reis crushed in the endzone for a strip sack that turned into a dagger defensive score for Kalaheo, extending the advantage to 27-13 for the Mustangs and all but wrap up the first OIA title in program history.

“We just had to play our football game,” Mellor said when asked about the halftime conversation for Kalaheo. “We came out and had too much of an ego, we weren’t playing our game. So, I just told the boys to stay calm and that we’ve got to play our game, our football and then it just happened. It’s what we do, that’s Kalaheo football.”

The Kalaheo defense also shut down Kaiser after halftime, not allowing a single point while forcing a pair of turnovers after the midway break. Senior linebacker Jeremiah Ojas had 10 total tackles (7 solo) while junior Caynin Makainai-Maiava had nine total tackles (6 solo) and the fumble recovery for a touchdown in the final two minutes for the Mustangs.

Kaiser junior quarterback Koa Reis wrapped up the night completing 20-of-35 passes for 211 yards through the air to go with 42 yards rushing in the loss. Reis accounted for both touchdowns for the Cougars, fighting into the endzone for the first score before dropping a dime to Tanner Pada to end the first half.

He also was charged with both turnovers by the Kaiser offense, tossing his fifth interception of the year while getting stripped in the endzone on the second-to-last offensive drive for the Cougars.

Both teams had already clinched spots in the 2026 Hawaii Army National Guard Football Division II championship tournament that starts next weekend. It’ll be Kalaheo’s first state tournament appearance since 2010 while Kaiser returns after a one-year absence.

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Nov 7, 2026

PEARL CITY – For the 15th time in program history, the Waipahu Marauders stand atop the OIA football ranks. Behind a four-touchdown showing from star sophomore quarterback Jake Garcia, the Waipahu varsity football team cruised to a dominant 42-7...

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Nov 4, 2026

Rainbow Warriors seek consecutive wins for the first time this season as former WAC rivals meet for the first time in 22 yearsComing off its most complete performance of the season and a much-needed bye week, Hawai‘i returns to action Saturday...

ADVERTISEMENT

Matingou magic helps Hawai’i hold on late against Seattle

Matingou magic helps Hawai’i hold on late against Seattle

Nov 3, 2026

Matingou magic helps Hawai’i hold on late against Seattle

Jaden Matingou surveys the defense during an opening night victory over Seattle University. | Photo Credit: Riley Guillermo

HONOLULU – What a way to end college basketball’s opening day.

After seeing a 16-point lead evaporate and falling behind for the first time all game late, the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team sent fans home happy on Monday night as Jaden Matingou sank a game-winning fallaway jumper with 1.2 seconds left to help the Rainbow Warriors squeak out a 74-73 victory over Seattle University.

 Matingou, a transfer from D-II powerhouse Point Loma, paced UH in his first official Division I contest with a game-high 20 points on 5-of-6 shooting and a 9-of-12 performance from the free throw line. The 6-foot-3 senior guard was limited to 23 minutes due to foul woes in his Rainbow Warrior debut, but navigated the game’s biggest moments like a pro to help lift Hawai’i to a season-opening win.

“Being around Jaden, watching him from afar and then being able to coach him … He is a big-shot taker, a big-shot maker and he’ll live with whatever,” head coach Eran Ganot said about Matingou. “It’s been fun to watch him grow because he’s got a lot ahead of him. I said after the game he’s amongst the quickest players that have ever worn the [Hawai’i] uniform.”

Hawai’i (1-0) didn’t look as though they would need any late game heroics with their play throughout the first half, taking an eight-point lead into the locker room after shooting nearly 60% from the field and forcing Seattle into 10 turnovers across the opening 20 minutes.

Matingou and forward Zack Davidson combined for the first 10 points for the Rainbow Warriors to get the hosts off to a hot start. The defense followed suit, helping push the lead out to as many as 16 as junior guard Chance Trujillo caught fire from long range.

Mason Williams kept Seattle attached with 13 of his 15 first-half points coming over the final seven minutes to spark an otherwise lifeless Redhawks offense and help bring the visitors back within single digits by the break, 47-39.

Hawai’i’s offense slowed down a bit in the second half as Matingou bounced between the court and bench with foul trouble and Seattle upped the defensive physicality to limit touches for Trujillo. The Redhawks also limited the Rainbow Warriors from running out for easy baskets following halftime, allowing UH to score just a single point off 10 turnovers forced in the second stanza.

Seattle used their own defense to rally back, limiting the Rainbow Warriors to 2-of-11 shooting from long range after halftime while forcing seven turnovers to help deliver their first lead of the night with 3:30 left in regulation.

Free throws from Trujillo and Matingou helped Hawai’i remain within a possession despite the UH offense making just two field goals in the final nine minutes of play.

After Trujillo split a pair of foul shots that brought the Rainbow Warriors within one with 39 seconds remaining, Seattle forward Will Heimbrodt drew a foul with 13 seconds left that gave the Redhawks a chance to make it a three-point game.

Shaken by a raucous crowd of 2,778 fans on hand inside Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, the 6-foot-7 senior forward bricked both free throws and left the margin at one. Hawai’i grabbed the second miss and pushed into the frontcourt, quickly calling timeout to set up a chance for some late heroics.

“We’re not [in position to win in regulation] if they don’t miss two free throws. This place was absolutely rocking when [Heimbrodt] was shooting those free throws,” said Matingou of the impact the Monday night crowd had down the stretch.

Down one with 10 seconds to work with after the timeout, Matingou took the inbound and used a screen from Bol Dengdit at the top of the key. Heimbrodt, the reigning WCC Defensive Player of the Year, switched onto the UH senior guard and cut off his drive into the paint before Matingou spun, elevated and cashed in a go-ahead fadeaway jumper with 1.2 seconds to play.

“I knew it was going in,” Trujillo said of Matingou’s shot. “In the timeout, I knew he was going to hit a game-winner. Our coach came into the timeout and was like we are a clutch team and [Matingou] just looked over at me fired up … I knew we were going to win the game.”

Trujillo followed right behind Matingou in the scoring column for Hawai’i, chipping in 19 points while knocking down 4-of-7 attempts from long range. The Utah Tech transfer played a game-high 38 minutes for the Rainbow Warriors, trudging along through physical defense to play the role of scorer and decoy down the stretch.

“I have so much respect for him,” Eran Ganot said after the game about Trujillo. “Gutsy performance … Playing [38 minutes] while he’s guarding elite guard play, while they’re defending him really well through actions and then we used him as a decoy to set a screen for a couple layups.”

UH also got solid contributions from the frontcourt, seeing Zack Davidson tally 11 points and three rebounds while finishing as a team-best +9 in his 29 minutes of work while Marcus Adams Jr. added 12 points and seven boards off the bench, drilling a couple of key threes in his Rainbow Warrior debut.

Hawai’i will return to action on Friday, November 6 to tip off the 60th annual OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic, taking on Bethesda at 7:00 p.m. HT inside Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. UT-Arlington and Portland make up the rest of the Rainbow Classic field and will face off with UH on Sunday, November 8 and Monday, November 9, respectively.

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Waipahu smashes Aiea to roll to OIA Division I title

Nov 7, 2026

PEARL CITY – For the 15th time in program history, the Waipahu Marauders stand atop the OIA football ranks. Behind a four-touchdown showing from star sophomore quarterback Jake Garcia, the Waipahu varsity football team cruised to a dominant 42-7...

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Hawai‘i Looks to Build Momentum Against UTEP Following Bye Week

Nov 4, 2026

Rainbow Warriors seek consecutive wins for the first time this season as former WAC rivals meet for the first time in 22 yearsComing off its most complete performance of the season and a much-needed bye week, Hawai‘i returns to action Saturday...

ADVERTISEMENT