We told you they’d be exciting … in good ways and bad ways, and that’s what the University of Hawaii basketball team displayed Saturday.

The Rainbow Warriors escaped with a thrilling 74-71 win over Cal State Northridge in their Big West debut. We use the word escaped because UH won despite falling behind 13-2 in the first half and then being outscored 23-8 at the outset of the second half.

A great victory as UH made the clutch plays at the end. And as coach Gib Arnold pointed out, tremendous decisive individual plays by role players Garrett Jefferson, Davis Rozitis, Brandon Spearman and Hauns Brereton.

But it didn’t have to be that close.

Ten turnovers in the first 11 minutes. And when the Rainbow Warriors weren’t coughing it up, they were chucking it up to the tune of 1-for-5 from the floor.

Early on, Cal State Northridge cut off the passing lanes like a semi on the H-1 … actually more like a motorcycle gang. At that point it didn’t matter that the Matadors guards are too short to get on the rides at Disneyland … they’re quick enough to sneak under the ropes. Five minutes into it, they were up by 11 on the road.

But then the Rainbows — sparked in large part by three freshmen and a backup center — put on a fast-break clinic. Forget the Clippers, if Magic saw this he’d call Arnold’s team "Showtime."

Then the outset of the second half, where a basket interference, offensive foul and another handful of turnovers helped UH fritter away an 11-point lead.

In the end, Vander Joaquim and the rest of the front line proved too big a load for the smaller Matadors and UH survived despite 52 percent from the line.

Did you see who was in the game when it was on the line, at the end? Yes, Manroop Clair and Brandon Jawato, both off the bench.

Clair played 28 minutes and Jawato 26. The starters, Jace Tavita and Brereton, were in for 13 and 15. The freshmen guards combined for 15 points, three assists and four turnovers. The seniors countered for eight, two and four.

"It’s a game-time decision. I still believe in Jace (Tavita) and Hauns, our vets, our captains," Arnold said. "This year there will be a lot of them.

"There’s thought (about starting the freshmen)," added Arnold, who did that in the Diamond Head Classic. "You go with practice and what’s happening in practice. Tonight we had 25 to 28 minutes with three freshmen out there. Who starts? Who finishes? Whatever, let’s do it together."

Forward Christian Standhardinger reminded me that basketball is a game of runs, especially when it’s this up-tempo. So the balky beginnings didn’t bother him.

Someday it might cost UH a game, though. Again, this was a great team win, and I don’t often argue with success. But if Clair and Jawato are the best guard combo — the one you have in at the end of the game when it’s on the line — then it should be in at the tip-off, too.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.