HONOLULU –The University of Hawai'i used a strong second-half surge to take care of Mississippi Valley State 72-54 in the OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic Friday night at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. It marked UH's 13th. season-opening win the last 14 years with all of the victories coming by double-digits.
UH led for the majority of the game, but trailed briefly in the second half against the Delta Devils (0-2) before turning on the afterburners in the final 12 minutes of the game.
Noel Coleman led UH with 22 points, going 5-of-10 on three-pointers and hitting the three-pointer that started the game-turning run.
Samuta Avea also made a statement in his first regular-season game in almost two years. The sixth-year senior tied his career-high with 20 point on 8-of-14 shooting while delighting the home crowd with a pair of rim-rattling dunks.
Bernardo da Silva chipped in with 10 points and 11 rebounds for his third career double-double.
UH started the game strong, building a double-digit lead midway through the first half. But the 'Bows went ice-cold and a five-minute scoreless stretch allowed MVSU to get back into the game. UH finished the first half just 4-of-20 from three-point range and clung to a 30-28 lead at the intermission.
UH continued to struggle early in the second half and Michael Barber's layup with 15:11 left gave MVSU its first lead of the game, 39-37. But after that it was all Rainbow Warriors. Coleman scored five straight points to kick start a 19-3 run that gave UH a double-digit lead it would not relinquish. UH built its lead to as many as 22 points as all 14 players who suited saw action.
UH did not shoot the ball particularly well, going 39 percent from the floor and just 9-of-34 (27 percent) on threes. But the 'Bows absolutely owned the glass with a 43-23 advantage on rebound. UH had as many offensive rebounds as MVSU had total rebounds, as they out-scored the Delta Devils 24-7 on second-chance points.
UH next faces Eastern Washington at 5 p.m. Sunday in the second round of action the Outrigger Rainbow Classic. The Eagles (0-2) fell to Yale (2-0), 74-60, in the opening game of the tournament.
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