The Hawaii basketball team opened Big West play with a splash.

The Rainbow Warriors rained eight 3-pointers in the second half, including three momentum boosters in the final three minutes, in Wednesday’s 79-68 victory over Cal State Fullerton in the Stan Sheriff Center.

A crowd of 3,378 saw the ’Bows improve to 10-5 and deny the Big West’s representative in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

“I’m proud of them,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “This was a big win for us in setting the tone.”

The Titans, who fell to 4-11 and 0-1 in the Big West, entered with two prolific-scoring guards — Kyle Allman, who torched the ’Bows for 40 points a year ago, and Khalil Ahmad. Each was averaging a little more than 18 points per game.

“It’s not a specific game to plan just to stop Kyle Allman,” said UH guard Sheriff Drammeh, who came off the bench to guard the 6-foot-3 sharpshooter. “They’ve got Khalid Ahmad, too. It’s another game. (Allman) doesn’t start the game with 40 points. You gotta go out there and compete, play as hard as you can play.”

Drammeh provided energy, defensive quickness and, according to Ganot, a not-so-surprising shooting touch. Drammeh scored 23 points, tying a career high, with four 3s.

“He’s getting back in shape,” Ganot said of Drammeh.

Drammeh had missed a game because of a suspension and was held out of two others because of an ankle injury. But he scored seven points in 12 minutes in the previous game against Alabama A&M, and followed it with Wednesday’s night performance.

“It’s nice to see (Drammeh) moving in the right direction,” Ganot said of the renewed health. “He’s had a couple breakthroughs. He had a good game the game before. He’s had a consistent stretch of practices. It’s nice to see when it transfers onto the court.”

Drammeh was able to frustrate Allman into missing four of his six first-half shots. Allman managed two 3s in the second half and finished with 14 points.

At the other end, Drammeh’s shots fell early, reinforcing his confidence and earning the green light from Ganot.

“After a couple shots went in, after you see the ball go in, you just feel that,” Drammeh said.

CSUF coach Dedrique Taylor said he was not surprised by Drammeh’s output.

“Not at all, that’s what he does,” Taylor said. “That’s what he does his whole time here. He makes big shots and he’s a heck of a player. He stepped on the floor and he did what his team needed, and that’s senior leadership.”

The Titans closed to 63-60 when Jamal Smith sank a free throw with 3:14 to play. Soon after, Drammeh swished a 3, celebrating with a shrug.

After the Titans hit a basket, Eddie Stansberry got the ball in front of the UH bench and, with Smith’s fingerprints on his face, hit a 3 to extend the lead to 69-62.

UH forward Jack Purchase completed the trifecta with a 3 from the top of the key.

The ’Bows hit eight of 13 shots from behind the stripe — 61.5 percent — in the second half.

“That was a big factor in the game,” Ganot said.

Purchase finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Stansberry contributed 16 points.

The first half ended with a slam when CSUF’s 6-foot-7 post player Jackson Rowe stormed the baseline and jammed while being fouled by UH’s Samuta Avea with 3.4 seconds to play. Rowe’s ensuing free throw boosted the Titans to a 34-31 lead at the intermission.

It was a first half of streaks and valleys. The Titans seized control early with a quick-moving, quick-cutting offense that built a 15-9 lead. But the ’Bows, who entered having used 134 different lineup combinations, had to get creative in trying to slow the Titans’ flow.

The ’Bows went on a 10-0 run to take a 29-22 lead with 2:24 left in the first half. The ’Bows tied it at 22 when Drew Buggs collapsed the defense with a drive into the lane, then fed Purchase, who buried a 3 from the left corner. After Allman missed a 3, Drammeh answered with a 3 from the top of the key, a trey punctuated with Drammeh’s three-fingered salute.

Soon after, Dawson Carper, one of UH’s three 7-foot freshmen, soared for a dunk. It was the ’Bows’ 10th jam of the season.