JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii head coach Eran Ganot looks on from the sideline at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.
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The Hawaii men’s basketball team will open its 2017-18 season against familiar foe Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The Golden Lions are the first official opponent on the Rainbow Warriors’ schedule Nov. 10, UH announced in revealing the order of its Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic opponents on Friday. It is the second time in four years UH slotted UAPB of the SWAC for its opener (2014-15), and in all for UAPB it will be the sixth trip in eight years to Manoa.
UH follows with games against North Dakota (Nov. 12) of the Big Sky and Troy (Nov. 13) of the Sun Belt in the round-robin tournament.
Troy previously put out the field for the Rainbow Classic as part of its schedule, but the order of opponents was unknown.
Pine Bluff went 7-25 last season, but North Dakota and Troy made the NCAA Tournament as 15 seeds. UH beat UAPB 64-44 last season and lost to Troy 65-63 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Also, Prairie View A&M of the SWAC lists Dec. 6 at Hawaii on its 2017-18 schedule. UH’s other known nonconference opponents are Nevada (Nov. 24), at Utah (Dec. 2) and Miami (Dec. 22).
UH’s full schedule is expected to be released next week.
Kawai leads OCC Invitational
Evan Kawai fired a 1-under-par 70 on Friday and maintained a three-shot lead heading into the final round of the Oahu Country Club Men’s Invitational.
Kawai, the Manoa Cup runner-up at OCC in June, enters today’s round at 7-under 135. Joey Sakaue and Tyler Ota are tied for second at 138. Nickolaus Nelson is another shot back.
Carl Ho won the senior flight at 72-69—141, holding off Brandan Kop and Jonathan Ota by one shot. Joe Phengsavath claimed the mid-am flight at 72-71—143.