Sizzling shooting display helps Hawaii Pacific to blowout win over St. Edwards

Sizzling shooting display helps Hawaii Pacific to blowout win over St. Edwards

Oct 30, 2026

Sizzling shooting display helps Hawaii Pacific to blowout win over St. Edwards

Hawaii Pacific G Avi Halpert drives during a preseason exhibition against the University of Hawai’i. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HONOLULU – Welcome to the Splash Zone.

Behind a blistering first half of long-range shooting and suffocating defensive showing, the Hawaii Pacific University men’s basketball team cruised to an 88-64 victory over St. Edwards (TX) on Friday morning to begin the 2026 Hoops in Hawaii Tip-Off Classic tournament.

The Sharks (1-0) looked right at home despite playing at McCabe Gym on the Chaminade campus, connecting on 19 3-pointers as a team in the season-opening win. It marked the most made threes in a single game for HPU since hitting a program record 20 triples against Grace Bible College in the Hoops in Hawaii Classic in 2015.

“Winning is hard so [when] you get a win like that, you try to enjoy it,” fourth-year head coach Jesse Nakanishi said after the game. “Every team in this tournament is figuring out their own team right now, so being able to get a win like that while we’re still figuring ourselves out is a sign of some good work that we put in.”

Senior guard Avi Halpert paced HPU with a game-high 23 points, shooting 8-of-11 from the floor and 7-of-10 from behind the arc against a Hilltoppers squad that received votes in the NCAA Division II men’s basketball Top 25 preseason poll. All but two of Halpert’s points came before the halftime buzzer, helping the Sharks take a 57-25 lead into the locker rooms after 20 minutes of play.

“[Shooting is] a separator in basketball and we shot the heck out of it in the first half and fortunately created a big enough gap to hang on in a second half where we did not take care of the ball very well,” said Nakanishi.

HPU shot it at 63% clip from the floor and knocked down 15-of-24 attempts from beyond the arc across the action in the first half. Despite a team featuring nine new players and returning zero starters from a season ago, they dished out 17 assists on the 19 total shots made from the field.

“We really talk about turning bronze to silver and silver to gold as far as how we rate shots,” a pleased Nakanishi explained of the offense. “Our guys shared it, especially in that first half … Obviously, you’ve got to make shots to get assists, but we really were moving the ball and sharing the ball and pushing in transition with pitch-aheads that really gave us some clean looks in the first half.”

The Sharks turned the ball over 24 times in total, 18 coming after halftime, leading to 25 points for St. Edwards. Despite the giveaway woes, HPU held the Hilltoppers to 12-for-31 shooting in the second half to hold on for a 24-point win and advance into the tournament semifinals on Saturday, October 31.

Robert Conran’s 16 points paced St. Edwards in the loss. Donovan Santoro was the only other Hilltopper to trickle into double figures, chipping in 11 points in 14 minutes off the bench.

Third-year forward Marino Dubravcic chipped in his first career double-double in the victory, tallying 10 points and 12 rebounds in 22 minutes of work in his first official game in an HPU uniform. The 6-foot-10 transfer from Northern Iowa also committed a team-high seven turnovers.

USC-Beaufort transfer Evan Kilminster also enjoyed his Sharks debut, adding 15 points and six assists in 31 minutes of action. The 6-foot-3 guard drained four 3-pointers, second-most on the squad behind Halpert.

Returning third-year guard Nemanja Sarenac was the fourth and final Shark to register double digits in the points category, cashing in a trio of triples while completing a four-point play to finish with 10 points in 28 minutes. The Serbian guard also grabbed four rebounds, handed out three assists and registered two of the team’s nine total steals.

Hawaii Pacific will take on Minot State (ND) in the tournament semifinals on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. HT inside McCabe Gym. The Beavers upset Adelphi (NY) in the second game of the tournament as guard Jayse Boatwright’s 34 points helped lift the team over the Panthers, 75-74.

Matingou magic helps Hawai’i hold on late against Seattle

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Nov 3, 2026

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...

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Hawai’i rains down from distance in comfortable exhibition win over HPU

Hawai’i rains down from distance in comfortable exhibition win over HPU

Oct 26, 2026

Hawai’i rains down from distance in comfortable exhibition win over HPU

Hawai’i G Jaden Matingou brings the ball down during a home exhibition. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

 

HONOLULU – Sweet shooting to a win over the Sharks.

The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team enjoyed themselves in an 89-60 exhibition victory over Hawaii Pacific University on Sunday evening as the Rainbow Warriors connected on 14 3-pointers and saw five of the 10 players that were active finish in double figures in front of 1,500 fans inside Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

Point Loma transfer Jaden Matingou paced the Division I hosts, looking like he was back in the PacWest with a 19-point, three-rebound, three-steal debut against the Sharks. The senior guard drilled two of his three attempts from long range while shooting 7-of-8 overall from the field.

Utah Tech transfer Chance Trujillo put his elite shooting on display with a team-high five made triples, posting 16 points in 28 minutes of work for the Rainbow Warriors.

Hawai’i G Chance Trujillo fires away from 3-point range during a season-opening exhibition against Hawaii Pacific University. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Zack Davidson, Bol Dengdit and Tiger Cuff rounded out the double-digit scorers for Hawai’i, tallying 15, 14 and 12 points apiece. Davidson grabbed a team-best six rebounds in 26 minutes of action while Cuff showed off his talent from range with all four of his makes coming from behind the arc.

Four players did not suit up for the Rainbow Warriors on Sunday, seeing Seattle University transfer Houran Dan, Davidson transfer Manie Joses, Swiss product Aloïs Leyrolles and captain Isaiah Kerr all out for the exhibition. Freshman guard Maïdy Douglas also did not play, though he is expected to redshirt the 2026-27 campaign before suiting up next year for UH.

Hawaii Pacific started out hot, taking a 10-5 lead over Hawai’i after the first four minutes of action. Graduate forward Will Woodward had five of his 10 points on the night in the span, cutting backdoor for the game’s first points before drilling a three to grab the early advantage for the Sharks.

Back-to-back triples from Trujillo and graduate guard Tanner Cuff put the Rainbow Warriors in front by the time the night’s first media timeout hit. The Rainbow Warriors would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the exhibition.

Dengdit scored eight of the next 16 points for UH, but a three from HPU guard Nemanja Sarenac that was sandwiched by a pair finishes by Marino Dubravcic helped keep the Sharks within seven with just over six minutes remaining in the first half.

Hawai’i extended the lead out to 12 by halftime as Davidson and Trujillo took turns tormenting the HPU defense, connecting from all three levels as the offense continued to click for the Rainbow Warriors.

Matingou helped UH hold off an early push from Hawaii Pacific in the second half, scoring the first seven points out of the locker rooms before Trujillo and Tiger Cuff got hot from long range to help extend the lead to 20 for the Rainbow Warriors with just under 14 minutes to play.

The lead grew as large as 31 for Hawai’i in the second half as the hosts continued to push the tempo and tally multiple threes down the stretch. Hawaii Pacific outscored the Rainbow Warriors in the paint and matched the rebounding output of their Division I foes, but 20 turnovers and eight less makes from behind the arc sunk the Sharks in their first game-like action of the 2026-27 campaign.

Sarenac led the way in the loss for HPU, scoring 18 points while drilling six 3-pointers in 30 minutes of action. The third-year wing also collected five rebounds and two steals for the Sharks.

Hawaii Pacific G Nemanja Sarenac fires away on one of his six 3-pointers against the University of Hawai’i. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Northern Iowa transfer Marino Dubravcic, who missed the 2025-26 season for the Panthers with an injury, ended the night with 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field in his first game action in over a year.

Bellevue product Will Woodward gave 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds to the Sharks while returning guard Avi Halpert chipped in 10 points and six assists while shooting 50% from the floor.

USC-Beaufort transfer Evan Kilminster struggled to find the touch on his shot as he collected five points in total on the night but showed off strong playmaking chops as he dished out eight assists in 31 minutes of work.

Hawaii Pacific will kick off a loaded non-conference schedule against St. Edwards University (TX) on Friday, October 30 for the Hoops in Hawaii Tip-off Classic, one of three Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) sanctioned events across the country in Division II to open up the 2026-27 basketball season.

The University of Hawai’i will tip-off the season at home on November 2 at 7:00 p.m. HT, playing host to Seattle University inside Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

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Hawai’i sweeps UNLV again to extend win streak to 10 straight

Hawai’i sweeps UNLV again to extend win streak to 10 straight

Oct 25, 2026

Hawai’i sweeps UNLV again to extend win streak to 10 straight

Hawai’i OH Cha’lei Reid smiles wide on her way to leading the Rainbow Wahine in kills for the sixth straight match. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HONOLULU – Somehow a night that started with the national anthem and Hawai’i Pono’i being played on the electric guitar only got more rocking as time went on.

After assistant coach Will McDonald shredded to start the night, the University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball team completed a weekend of sweeps over UNLV (8-13, 4-6 Mountain West) on Saturday night with a takedown of the Lady Rebels in straight sets for the second straight evening, (25-21, 25-11, 25-23), inside Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

The victory extended UH’s season-long win streak to 10 straight matches in front of a season-high crowd of 6,603 fans, who helped power the Rainbow Wahine to an impressive rally in the third frame to complete the sweep.

Sophomore outside hitter Cha’lei Reid led the way for the sixth straight match for Hawai’i, hammering down a match-best 15 kills on 28 swings. Senior outside hitter Panna Ratkai added 13 kills and nine digs while junior setter Adrianna Arquette posted her third double-double in the last four matches and eighth of the year with 35 assists and 13 digs in the victory.

Junior middle blocker Miliana Sylvester was the third and final UH player to post double-digit kills, adding 10 putdowns and a pair of blocks as the Rainbow Wahine defense held the Lady Rebels to .127 on the attack as a group. It marked the 15th straight and 18th match overall that Hawai’i held an opponent under .200 hitting.

Reid recorded seven of her 15 kills in the opening frame while Arquette dealt out both of her service aces on the night to help the Rainbow Wahine rally from a three-point deficit at the technical timeout to a 25-21 win in the night’s first set.

Hawai’i handled business handily in the second stanza, sprinting out to a 10-3 lead and forcing UNLV to burn through both timeouts before the midway media break. Arquette continued firing away from behind the service line following the Lady Rebels’ second timeout, pushing the advantage out to 11 points before finally sending a serve into the net.

The Rainbow Wahine continued to roll after taking a 15-4 lead into the technical timeout as they hit an absurd .500 as a group in the second set on the way to a 25-11 domination of the Lady Rebels and a 2-0 set lead in the match.

UNLV seemed primed to push the night to a fourth set after holding an 18-12 lead in the third, but the Rainbow Wahine rallied behind the raucous Stan Sheriff Center crowd as the Lady Rebels began to misfire on multiple attacks.

Cha’lei Reid started to sizzle again in the final frame as well and Adrianna Arquette turned in a pair of blocks and a timely over-on-two attack to help Hawai’i grab a 23-22 lead late in the third. After UNLV’s Jada Ingram tied it back up at 23, Panna Ratkai put the Rainbow Wahine ahead for good with her final kill of the night.

A pair of freshmen combined to close it out for Hawai’i on the very next rally as Rachel Purser and Mano Antiga denied UNLV’s Basia Latos at the net to wrap up UH’s second straight sweep of the Lady Rebels.

Latos led the way in the loss for UNLV, tallying eight kills and seven digs while Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year pick Jaida Harris had seven kills, five blocks and a pair of digs for the Lady Rebels.

Hawai’i (18-3, 10-0 Mountain West) looks to keep rolling next Friday and Saturday, traveling to the continent to take on UC Davis (11-10, 7-3 Mountain West) in a clash of the conference’s top two teams during Halloween weekend.

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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...

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Explosive first half helps Hawai’i to blowout win at Northern Illinois

Explosive first half helps Hawai’i to blowout win at Northern Illinois

Oct 24, 2026

Explosive first half helps Hawai’i to blowout win at Northern Illinois

Now THAT’S more like it.

Behind a balanced offensive attack and opportunistic defense, the University of Hawai’i football team stepped on the gas and never looked back during a 56-21 victory at Northern Illinois (0-7, 0-3 Mountain West) on Saturday.

The Rainbow Warriors (2-6, 1-4 Mountain West) leaned on the legs of DeVon Rice and Cam Barfield early and often, getting 200 total yards and four rushing touchdowns from the Bishop Gorman duo. Barfield found the end zone for the first time this season while tallying 70 yards receiving and another 58 on the ground and Rice chipped in 71 rushing yards and three touchdowns across 12 carries for Hawai’i.

The improved ground attack opened up the air for Micah Alejado and the UH receiving core as the offense posted a season-high 504 total yards on the way to the program’s first 50+ point performance under fifth-year head coach Timmy Chang.

Hawai’i got off to a quick start, finding paydirt on the team’s opening possession for just the second time in eight games this year as Rice rumbled into the end zone from three yards out to cap off the 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive.

NIU answered right back with the help of blown coverage as QB Taron Dickens delivered a 49-yard touchdown strike to a wide-open DeAree Rogers to tie the game up, 7-7. Hawai’i hit back quickly with the help of a fantastic 46-yard catch from Audric Harris, setting up the Rainbow Warriors on the doorstep of the redzone before Alejado hit redshirt TE Frank Abreu for a 13-yard touchdown reception four plays later to give a 14-7 advantage to the visitors through 15 minutes of action.

Dickens and Rogers hooked up again at the start of the second quarter, connecting for a 25-yard touchdown to tie things up at 14 with 13:46 left in the opening half.

Then, Hawai’i decided to take it to another level.

DeVon Rice rushed through a massive hole untouched on the way to a go-ahead 33-yard touchdown and Cam Barfield set the Rainbow Warriors up on the very next drive by taking a screen pass 62 yards to the doorstep of the end zone before pushing in from a yard out two plays later to help Hawai’i double-up the Huskies, 28-14, with just over five minutes left before halftime.

Jeremiah Hughes grabbed his third interception in the past two games on the next drive, giving UH’s offense one more chance to add on before the break. Alejado hit Harris again for a 40+ yard gain to put Hawai’i on the NIU 23-yard line as the two-minute timeout hit and then connected with Abreu on an incredible toe-tap touchdown grab to send the Rainbow Warriors into the locker room with a new season high in points in just 30 minutes of action.

After a shanked punt by NIU set Hawai’i’s offense up at the Huskies’ 35-yard line, redshirt freshman WR Titan Lacaden helped the visitors convert on a third-and-6 with a 22-yard catch-and-run to set up first-and-goal for the offense. Rice did the rest, wrapping up his hat trick of touchdowns to extend the lead to 28 for the Rainbow Warriors.

Hawai’i added on once more before the end of the third as Alejado hit a wide-open Josiah Fetui for a 44-yard touchdown, the first score of the sophomore’s college career.

Elijah Porter gave a chance for the home fans to cheer in the fourth frame, extending out to break the plane for a three-yard touchdown run with 8:55 left to play and end a run of 35 straight points by Hawai’i.

True freshmen closed out the fantastic day for the Rainbow Warriors as RB TJ Fo’ilefutu rumbled into the end zone from six yards out for his first career touchdown to push UH over the 50-point mark and DB Kydel Stone wrapped up the game with his first career interception on the final defensive drive.

Alejado completed 22-of-32 passes in the victory for Hawai’i, eclipsing the 300 passing yard mark for the third time this year with 323 yards through the air and three touchdowns along with a late interception.

Audric Harris needed just two catches to lead the receiving room with 90 yards. Hawai’i finished the day with 12 different players recording a catch, tying a season-high for a single game. Frank Abreu set a new career-high with 31 receiving yards and two touchdowns across three catches.

Julian Smith and Wynden Ho’ohuli each forced fumbles for the UH defense while Hughes and Stone each snagged interceptions, setting a new season-best of four total takeaways by the unit.

Elijah Palmer led the defense with eight tackles (six solo) while sophomore DT Ozzy Pollard added a season-high six total tackles (three solo) in the victory.

Hawai’i enters a much-needed bye week after enduring through a five-game gauntlet, returning to action next on November 7 with a matchup on the road against UTEP.

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Matingou magic helps Hawai’i hold on late against Seattle

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Nov 3, 2026

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...

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High-speed Hawai’i offense on full display in exhibition win over Hawaii Pacific

High-speed Hawai’i offense on full display in exhibition win over Hawaii Pacific

Oct 22, 2026

High-speed Hawai’i offense on full display in exhibition win over Hawaii Pacific

Hawaii senior guard Jovi Lefotu smiles after making a play against HPU. | Photo Credit: Riley Guillermo

HONOLULU – Runnin’ Rainbow Wahine.

The University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team took to the floor for the first time under the leadership of first-year head coach Khalilah Mitchell on Wednesday night, dominating to the tune of a 90-38 exhibition win over Hawaii Pacific University.

Sophomore Bailey Flavell looked primed for a big second year in the islands, leading the way with 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting, adding four rebounds and a pair of assists in 23 minutes of work against the Sharks as she helped push the tempo from the opening tip.

The Rainbow Wahine sliced and diced HPU in the opening quarter with a consistent downhill attack and speedy transition breaks, taking a 27-7 lead through 10 minutes of action. Hawai’i recorded assists on six of the team’s 10 made baskets, racking up 15 points on the fast break.

Hawaii Pacific started to find the touch from distance in the follow-up frame, drilling three 3-pointers, but still couldn’t stop the Rainbow Wahine from getting to the rim as the lead grew to 28 by halftime. Hawai’i got to the free throw line 20 times in the opening 20 minutes and scored 36 points in the paint, but did turn the ball over eight times before the break.

Ritorya Tamilo had eight of her 14 points in the second quarter against the Sharks, going 4-for-5 from the free throw line while grabbing three of her 12 rebounds on the night. The junior also blocked a shot and attempted a 3-pointer that was off the mark as the 6-foot-5 center continues to work on extending her range.

The Sharks struggled against the length of the Rainbow Wahine, turning the ball over 11 times while connecting on 24% of their attempts from the floor during the first half. HPU fifth-year center Cori Wilcox had a solid showing in her first game action back after suffering a season-ending knee injury, scoring a couple of baskets against the bigger UH posts and grabbing three rebounds in 10 minutes of work.

Hawai’i extended the lead to 42 by the end of the third quarter as Flavell and Jovi Lefotu took turns tormenting the HPU defense, combining for 15 of the Rainbow Wahine’s 23 points in the frame. The Sharks shot just 23% from the field in the third while UH connected on 59% of their shots, scoring 14 points in the paint while hitting on a pair of threes after drilling none from distance in the first half.

Hawaii guard Jovi Lefotu fires a long-range jumper against HPU. | Photo Credit: Riley Guillermo

The Rainbow Wahine bench wrapped up the night with 12 of the final 19 points for the hosts, seeing junior guard Liz Udeze score five of her six points across the final 10 minutes to help secure the 90-38 victory while Tee Bond added four more points to finish the night as the third UH player in double figures with 13 points in 19 minutes of work.

Hawai’i scored 29 points on the break and 58 in the paint, continuing to attack the rim at a consistent rate while holding HPU to 14 points in the painted area and zero on the fast break.

Kalysa Ng knocked down two 3-pointers to while Wilcox added one more bucket after halftime to each lead the Sharks with six points while Jalen Samuel, Kaile Cruz and Mia Frye chipped in five points apiece for the Division 2 squad.

HPU will kick off the regular season with the Hoops in Hawai’i Classic next weekend, taking on Western Colorado on Friday, October 30 at Saint Louis School to open up a three-day tournament.

Hawai’i will be back in action on November 2, traveling to the continent to open up the season on the road against the University of Oregon. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. HT and can be seen on Big Ten Plus.

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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...

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New Mexico overcomes nightmare first half to hand fourth straight loss to Hawai’i

New Mexico overcomes nightmare first half to hand fourth straight loss to Hawai’i

Oct 18, 2026

New Mexico overcomes nightmare first half to hand fourth straight loss to Hawai’i

HONOLULU – The devil is in the details.

Despite holding a double-digit halftime lead, committing less penalties and forcing more turnovers than the defense that entered the night pacing the country in total takeaways, the University of Hawai’i football team saw a final result that’s become far too familiar as they fell 21-10 against New Mexico (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West) on Saturday night inside Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.

Hawai’i (1-6, 0-4 Mountain West) saw its cursed offense fail to get off the ground again, managing just three points off the three takeaways produced by the defense while getting shut out after halftime.

“Well-fought, hard played game,” head coach Timmy Chang said to open his postgame press conference. “That’s a really good team on the other side, well-coached, and the guys gave them all that they could handle. Just a few more plays were made on that side of the ball, so the result is losing by 11.”

New Mexico turned in a nightmare first half in the islands, committing 12 of the team’s 16 total penalties in the opening 30 minutes to help Hawai’i extend multiple drives while forcing the Lobo offense to deal with multiple speed bumps before the break.

Hawai’i failed to take advantage of the slow start by New Mexico, mustering up only three points in the first quarter after DB Jeremiah Hughes’ first career interception set the offense up near midfield. With help from a pair of late hit penalties against the Lobos, the Rainbow Warriors pushed inside the red zone before being forced to settle for a 27-yard field goal from Sean Olvera-Harle, taking a 3-0 lead midway through the opening frame.

The UH defense provided another boost at the start of the second quarter, forcing another turnover as DB Matagi Thompson punched the ball free after a 40-yard scramble by New Mexico QB Toa Fa’avae that DB Kona Moore fell on top of it to start the Hawai’i offense again out near midfield.

This time, the hosts failed to capitalize at all from the second turnover of the half as WR Audric Harris got the ball punched away on a would-be touchdown catch before Olvera-Harle misfired on a 29-yard FG attempt, keeping the lead at 3-0 with 10:14 remaining in the first half.

A few more flags on the New Mexico offense, combined with a botched snap, sent the ball back to Hawai’i in plus territory with just under two minutes remaining until halftime and one timeout to work with.

This time, Hawai’i perfectly handled business as the hosts drained down the remainder of the clock before Titan Lacaden scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard catch to open up a 10-0 lead for the Rainbow Warriors heading into the locker room.

The New Mexico offense finally got going to start the second half, marching 75 yards in nine plays to open the third quarter with help from a 4th-and-4 trick play conversion that saw Fa’avae take a pass 35 yards to the doorstep of the end zone. UNM RB Scottre Humphrey hammered into paydirt from a yard out a few plays later, cutting the deficit to 10-7 a little over five minutes after play resumed.

Hughes grabbed some momentum back for Hawai’i towards the tail end of the third, securing his second interception of the night after back-to-back punts by the Rainbow Warrior offense spanned the middle portion of the period.

QB Micah Alejado and the offense seemed primed to put more points on the board at the start of the fourth quarter after the sophomore gunslinger connected with WR Josiah Fetui on a 47-yard rainbow before entering the final 15 minutes, but the Lobos defense stood tall and forced a fumble at the goal line from Alejado to keep the Rainbow Warrior lead at three.

New Mexico didn’t let the turnover go unpunished, draining seven minutes off the clock before Fa’avae finished off a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive with a tough 21-yard touchdown run that put the visitors ahead for the first time all night, 14-10.

Hawai’i reverted back to bad habits on the following drive, seeing an unnecessary roughness penalty push the offense out of a potential fourth-and-short situation near midfield and force a punt back to the Lobos with 3:32 to play.

Starting in Hawai’i territory, New Mexico needed just one play to drive home the dagger as Humphrey hustled 49 yards to open up a two-score lead for the visitors late in the fourth. Alejado and company attempted to rally one last time, but a pass from Alejado that bounced off the chest of WR Tama Uiliata straight up into the air was intercepted by UNM’s Tavin Combs to close out any chance at a comeback for the Rainbow Warriors.

Alejado finished the night completing 23-of-40 passes for 250 yards, a touchdown and an interception while also fumbling once. Lacaden tallied seven receptions for the second straight game, adding 41 receiving yards and the lone trip into the end zone for the Rainbow Warriors.

“It’s not really much to say,” Lacaden said about the continued poor execution. “We’ve got to clean up the little things. I feel like that’s the story every week for us … Call a spade a spade, that’s what it is. It’s the little things for us, we’re killing ourselves with the pre-snap errors, the penalties, the offsides, the holding. We’ve just got to make the plays when plays come our way.”

Humphrey handled his business in a big way after halftime, racking up 78 of his 90 rushing yards and both touchdowns in the second half. After a rough opening quarter of turnovers, Fa’avae also put together a solid evening with 171 yards of total offense as he passed for 59 yards, ran for 77 more and had one reception for 35 yards in the win.

Hawai’i will wrap up a five-games-in-five-weeks stretch next weekend, hitting the road to take on Northern Illinois on October 24. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. HT as the Rainbow Warriors and Huskies each look for their first conference victory of the season.

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