There was a somnolent start and an alley whoops at the end, but the Hawaii basketball team ruled everything in between in Saturday night’s 90-54 rout of Humboldt State in the 54th Rainbow Classic.
The Rainbow Warriors, who have won their first two games of the season by an average margin of 27 points, will play North Texas today. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
The ’Bows struggled to find a rhythm early against the Division II opponent. The ’Bows led 13-11 when the wake-up call sounded halfway through the first half.
The ’Bows then went on a 20-0 run to seize control.
We had a slow start,” point guard Drew Buggs said. “We weren’t making some shots. And we also weren’t taking shots that we liked at first.”
The ’Bows had a short turnaround to prepare for the Lumberjacks. Following Friday night’s victory over Portland, the ’Bows were briefed on the Lumberjacks’ style. The ’Bows studied video on Saturday morning, and then went through a shoot-around session in the afternoon. But the Lumberjacks opened with an aggressive mix-and-match defensive scheme that covered ball screens and the cuts.
“We had to adjust,” Buggs said. “Playing a new team, straight after the first game, it takes a little bit of an adjustment.”
During an early timeout, the ’Bows were implored to accelerate the pace.
“We know when we’re not playing to a level we’re capable of,” Buggs said. “We recognize that, and fix it and turn it around.”
It was an inside-outside combo that set the way. Jack Purchase drained two 3s during the surge.
Buggs, the usual play facilitator, became the aggressor. In one sequence, Buggs drove the lane and hit a reverse layup while being fouled. He hit the ensuing free throw to complete the 3-point play.
“I like to get my teammates involved,” Buggs said. “That’s one of my jobs as a point guard, to get my teammates open shots. I knew we were struggling a little bit on offense. I tried to up the tempo, get guys some easy points in transition. I’m confident in my teammates, and I’m confident in my offensive skill sets, too. I seen the open lane, and I just went in and attacked. That’s what coaches tell me. If nobody stops me, my job is to attack the rim. If I get stopped, then my job is to make the right play for my team.”
Buggs, who dished a team-high five assists in 20 minutes, helped find Eddie Stansberry, a transfer from City College of San Francisco. During a span of 2 minutes, 11 seconds in the first half, Stansberry made three 3s.
The Lumberjacks had no answer to the ’Bows’ eclectic offense. The Lumberjacks were held to 8-for-29 shooting in the first half, including 1-for-9 from beyond the arc. They missed 14 of their first 18 attempts.
The Lumberjacks played better in the first eight minutes of the second half, but then the ’Bows returned to what head coach Eran Ganot described as a defensive approach that is “nothing tricky, nothing gimmicky.”
The ’Bows also were able to maintain their composure during an incident in the second half. HSU’s LJ Williams knocked down Zigmars Raimo in the paint. While they were entangled, Williams appeared to kick Raimo. After a video review, Williams was assessed a personal foul and flagrant penalty, leading to his ejection. Ganot said Zigmars “is good,” and that the ’Bows were able to move past the incident.
That shifted the focus to the ’Bows three 7-foot freshmen — Mate Colina scored 10 points — and the impressive play of Justin Hemsley, who redshirted last season. Hemsley scored nine points in a row, and missed becoming the fifth UH player in double figures when he failed to convert on an alley-oop lob from Leland Green.
NORTH TEXAS 77, PORTLAND 73
In the first game, Zachary Simmons scored 23 points and Ryan Woolridge contributed a season-high 22 to lift North Texas to a victory over Portland.
Portland, which trailed by as many as 12 in the second half, closed to 61-59 with 4:41 to play. But Woolridge converted one of two free throws, and DJ Draper drained one of his three 3s to give the Mean Green a cushion.
JoJo Walker led the Pilots with 22 points on 9-for-11 shooting. Walker made his first seven shots, including three from behind the arc.
Portland and Humboldt State will not face each other today. Portland is a member of the West Coast Conference, which limits its teams to playing only one non-Division I team a year. Portland opened the season against Multnomah, an NAIA school.
