Box Score
Post Game Quotes

HONOLULU – The University of Hawai`i Rainbow Warrior basketball team opened its 2009-10 season with a 65-48 win over Southern Utah Friday night in the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.  UH got off to an explosive start, briefly lost its lead, then finished off the Thunderbirds in the final 10 minutes for their first season-opening win in four years.

 

Roderick Flemings led the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds for his sixth career double-double. Dwain Williams, a transfer from Providence College, made his highly anticipated debut and finished with 16 points. Junior college transfer Jeremy Lay also finished in double figures, netting 11 points.

 

The 'Bows led for nearly the entire game, holding double-digit leads in each half, but went without a field goal for nearly a 10-minute stretch to let the Thunderbirds back in the game.  UH got off to quick start draining its first five field goals to take an 11-2 lead just five minutes in. The Rainbow Warriors extended its lead to as many as 13 points on two occasions in the first half. But UH cooled off significantly, while the Thunderbirds went on a 10-2 run to end the half and it was a just 32-27 UH lead at the break.

 

Hawai`i's continued to have trouble finding the basket in the second half as the 'Bows scored just three points in the first eight minutes. Southern Utah eventually took its first lead of the game, 36-35 at the 12:07 mark on a Davis Baker layup. The Thunderbirds only lead of the game would last all of 19 seconds as Flemings layup on UH's next possession, ended the UH field goal drought at the 11:48 mark. That layup sparked a 19-6 run over the next six minutes as the 'Bows built its lead back up to double-digits and never looked back.

 

UH ended the game shooting 41 percent from the floor, while holding Southern Utha to just 39 percent shooting. Davis Baker led Southern Utah (0-1) with 14 points, but shot just 6-of-17 from the field. The Rainbow Warriors also finished with a 41-26 advantage on the boards and got 11 rebounds from senior Petras Balocka.  

 

In the opening game of the round-robin tournament, Northern Colorado put up an impressive performance with a 101-73 win over McNeese State.

 

The Rainbow Classic continues on Sunday with Southern Utah taking on Northern Colorado at 2:30 p.m., followed by Hawaii versus McNeese State at 5:00 p.m.