NORTHRIDGE, Calif.  – In the team's Big West road opener, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team built a double-digit lead before holding off a late CSUN rally for a thrilling 84-79 win Thursday night at the Matadome​​​​. It was the fifth straight win for the Rainbow Warriors (11-5, 2-0) who are off to a 2-0 league start for the first time in three years.
 
Eddie Stansberry and Zigmars Raimo led the way for the 'Bows after combining for 46 points. Stansberry poured in 25 points – one off his career high – while also making a key steal in the waning seconds to seal the win. Raimo, meanwhile, posted his second double-double of the year before fouling out late in the game. The junior forward finished with a career-high 21 points while adding 11 rebounds.
 
CSUN lost despite a game-high 30 points from Terrell Gomez, who spearheaded a frantic rally by the Matadors (8-11, 2-1) in the final minutes. Freshman sensation Lamine Diane added 28 points and 12 rebounds.
 
UH led for the majority of the game, but the game was in doubt all the way up to the end. The 'Bows got off to fast start scoring the game's first seven points. It was a sign of things to come as the Rainbow Warriors built its lead to as many as 15 points, before taking a 44-37 lead into the locker room.
 
The Matadors, started the second half with a 14-5 run and took just their second lead of the game, 51-49, after a Rodney Henderson put-back. The CSUN lead was short-lived as UH scored seven unanswered and the 'Bows would never trail again.
 
However, the Matadors wouldn't go down easy. UH enjoyed an 11-point cushion with less than three minutes until Gomez sparked a CSUN surge, highlighted by a pair of NBA-range three-pointers that cut the UH lead to 80-79 with 13 seconds left.
 
UH though secured the game on the free throw line. The 'Bows finished just 21-of-31 from the charity stripe, but made them when it counted most as Jack Purchase and Samuta Avea hit six straight free throws in the final 17 seconds.
 
Purchase finished with 13 points, while Avea chipped in 11 points off the bench. Drew Buggs dished out a season-high nine assists and directed a UH offense that 18 assists to just seven turnovers.
 
The Rainbow Warriors will next head to UC Riverside for another Big West matchup on Saturday, Jan. 19. Tipoff is 5:00 p.m. PT/3:00 p.m. HT.