The Hawaii basketball team opened the 2017-18 season and the Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic with an 82-70 win over familiar foe Arkansas-Pine Bluff tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center.

UH’s frontcourt trio of Gibson Johnson, Jack Purchase and Mike Thomas proved too much for the Golden Lions as they combined for 56 points.

A “blackout” crowd of 3,655 saw UH’s 16-point lead near the start of the second half get cut to three with 10 minutes left. But Purchase and Brandon Thomas hit 3s to push the advantage back to nine and the Lions didn’t seriously threaten again.

Johnson was a perfect 4-for-4 in the first half for 11 points, as UH led 46-36 at intermission.

UH continues the round-robin tournament against North Dakota (1-0) at 5 p.m. Sunday.