Box Score
2010 Diamond Head Classic Final Bracket

HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team gave UH fans a Christmas gift with a 68-57 win over Mississippi State in the fifth place game of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center. UH improved to 9-3 on the season after going 2-1 in the prestigious holiday tournament.

 

UH went wire-to-wire, starting the game on a 12-0 run, and never looked back. The Rainbow Warriors led by as many as 20 in the first half and took a 42-23 lead at intermission. The Bulldogs never threatened in the second half.

 

Guard Zane Johnson led UH in scoring for the fifth straight game with 19 points and eight rebounds while point guard Hiram Thompson finished with 14 points and five assists in 40 minutes of action. Sophomore post Vander Joaquim added nine points and 11 rebounds.

 

It was rare game for Hawai'i against an SEC opponent as UH had only three such meetings in the last nine years. Kody Augustus led the way for the Bulldogs (8-5) with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

 

UH played stout defense in the first half, holding MSU scoreless for nearly the first six minutes while limiting the Bulldogs to 22.6 percent shooting. In contrast, the 'Bows shot 56 percent, led by Thompson, who had 13 of his 14 points in the opening frame. UH went ahead by 19 at 29-10 on Bo Barnes' three-pointer with six minutes left and took its largest lead moments later at 34-14 on Barnes' second trey.

 

Guard Jeremiah Ostrowski saw his first action of the season, one day after playing for the UH football team in Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.