Winning ways will carry into the New Year for Hawaii.

The Rainbow Warriors overcame Norfolk State’s switching defenses and slow-it-down style to win for the eighth time in nine games, 77-66, behind a 50-point second half at the Stan Sheriff Center on Monday night.

UH (10-3) is off to its best start through 13 games since the 2004-05 season. The ‘Bows got 29 points from Christian Standhardinger and 21 from Garrett Nevels in the victory.

"That’s one of the motivations. Christmas Day, New Year, you gotta win those games or it will not be fun," Standhardinger said.

Standhardinger shot 8-for-12 from the field and 12-for-14 from the free-throw line, while grabbing eight rebounds, blocking two shots and getting three steals to help counteract a career-high eight turnovers.

Senior guard Brandon Spearman added 11 points and a career-best five steals after being named the Big West Conference player of the week earlier Monday.

UH concludes nonconference play against Nebraska-Omaha (10-4) on Friday at the Sheriff in what’s expected to be an up-tempo affair.

Not so — at least at first — on Monday. A crowd of about 4,000 was conspicuously quiet in the first half as the Spartans (8-6) of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference dictated a deliberate tempo on the Rainbow Warriors and took a one-point lead at the break at a grind-it-out pace, 28-27.

"In the first half, they were switching up their defenses a lot (between man and zone)," Nevels said. "It was our first time to really see it. You can practice it all day, but when you first really see it you have to adjust to it. So I think in the second half we did a really good job and got a lot of easy buckets."

The 6-foot-2 Nevels grabbed eight rebounds and shot 4-for-5 on 3-pointers as UH went 7-for-14 from long range as a team, including 5-for-6 in the second half.

The ‘Bows upped their defensive pressure in the fullcourt after the break and forced 13 of Norfolk’s 19 turnovers in the period.

"A key we said at halftime was ‘no rhythm, no rest,’ " UH coach Gib Arnold said. "We didn’t want them to get into a rhythm and we wanted to get into their legs. … I loved how our press got into them."

The Spartans, who traveled all the way from Norfolk, Va., executed their game plan to near perfection for the first 20 minutes.

Sophomore forward Isaac Fotu was held to four points and four rebounds against the long arms of 7-foot center Brandon Goode and consistent double teams. Norfolk State closed out on UH’s shooters exceptionally well in the first half and forced the ‘Bows into tough shots at the end of the shot clock at several points.

The Spartans pressed, not with the intent of speeding up the game but slowing UH down into its halfcourt sets.

"Two things happened," Arnold said. "They were able to get into their press, and it took us about eight seconds to break it. By the time you hit your sets, you play hesitant seeing if they were in man or zone. … We only had … maybe one or two rotations in 20 seconds.

"We’re not used to that. We’re used to pushing it, getting a shot up in the first 10, 15 seconds."

But UH got out in transition after the break and shot 57.1 percent in the period, boosting its efficiency to 51 percent for the game.

"We started getting more momentum and more shots up," said Standhardinger, who had 20 points in the second half. "That’s good for us, and that’s why we won at the end."

After two free throws by Goode put the Spartans up 32-30 — their last lead of the night — Nevels and Spearman spearheaded a 9-0 run with 3s. Standhardinger blocked Goode from behind at the rim and point guard Keith Shamburger turned it into a 38-32 lead with a layup in transition.

Nevels’ fourth 3-pointer put UH up by double digits for the first time at 48-38, but the Spartans came back with a quick 3.

Malcolm Hawkins (16 points) converted a three-point play for NSU, getting it within 58-50. But Standhardinger responded with an and-1 on a pass from Quincy Smith to match UH’s then-largest lead of 11.

Standhardinger got a block, led the fast break himself and dished to Spearman for a layup and a 64-50 lead, UH’s largest of the night.

UH maintained a double-digit lead until Hawkins scored on a drive to make it 74-66 with 1:25 remaining. That was as close as it would get late.

The final foul disparity was 20-10 in favor of UH. The ‘Bows attempted 28 free throws to the Spartans’ 13.

UH was bothered by Norfolk’s size in the early going. The Spartans outrebounded UH 18-13 in the first half, but the ‘Bows came back to win that category by two overall.

"We just didn’t do it in the second half," Norfolk State coach Robert Jones said. "Being on the road you run into a lot of adversity, whether it’s the crowd or officiating, but you have to handle it and we didn’t handle it well. There were a couple of questionable calls, but that’s going to happen on the road, so you have to deal with it."

Goode was the Spartans’ all-around best player with 12 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and three assists.

Seldom-used Brandon Jawato hit a 3-pointer for a 16-13 UH lead, but the Spartans came back with a quick 3 as part of a 7-1 run to take a 20-17 advantage.

Nevels connected on a deep 3-pointer to beat the shot clock to knot it at 20, and Fotu completed a three-point play for a short-lived 25-23 lead.

UH ended a 4:23 scoring drought in the final second of the first half on a baseline jumper by Nevels. He was fouled on the made basket but could not convert the free throw and Norfolk State took a 28-27 lead at halftime.

An official was down hurt and woozy after slipping beneath one of the baskets with 6:03 left. The two remaining officials resumed the game on their own and the third official returned with 4:22 left and completed the game.