The Hawaii basketball team paid off its debts with Sunday night’s 100-74 victory over East Texas A&M in Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
The loudest roar from what remained of a crowd of 1,937 came when backup point guard Hunter Carter hit a free throw for the Rainbow Warriors’ 100th point with 32 seconds left.
In hitting the century mark for the first time since 2017, the Rainbow Warriors rebounded from last Tuesday’s season-opening road loss at Oregon. The ’Bows also avenged a 53-51 loss in 2022 when ETAMU was known as Texas A&M Commerce.
But with a renovated lineup — no UH player from that 2022 team is on the current roster — the ’Bows controlled the boards (33-21), drew fouls (34) and received a boost from Dre Bullock, Hunter Erickson and Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson.
The Lions used an aggressive defense, which featured multiple switches on ball screens and double teams in the post, in attempts to slow the ’Bows. Instead, the tactic led to a plethora of fouls. Of the Lions’34 fouls, 22 were committed in the first half.
The ’Bows were in the bonus a little more than five minutes into the game, and drew their 10th foul with 10:08 left in the first half. The ’Bows made 22 of 34 free throws in the first half in taking a 51-30 lead into the intermission. The ’Bows finished 37 of 54 from the line. The Lions were 22 of 32 on free throws, including 5 of 10 in the first half.
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“I don’t want to blame the referees at all, but it was a much tighter game than we had played in the first couple games this year,” ETAMU coach Jaret von Rosenberg said. “We did a really poor job adjusting to that. When there are six, seven fouls five minutes into the game, you’ve got to make an adjustment. You’ve got to understand (the referees are) looking for it and calling it. We shot a ton of free throws, too. I’ve got to do a better job of adjusting when it’s a tighter game like that.”
Von Rosenberg credited the ’Bows for navigating through the Lions’ defensive schemes.
“A bunch of those could have turned into turnovers early, and we weren’t able to capitalize,” von Rosenberg said. “If we’re going to play like that against their size, we’ve got to create turnovers.”
Bullock scored 15 points, including a thunderous dunk after splitting two defenders, and ignited the ’Bows’ fast break. Erickson hit all five of his shots, including three from behind the arc. Erickson, Aaron Hunkin-Claytor and Isaiah Kerr shared the point in the absence of injured Tanner Cuff.
Johnson scored 13 points — he was 7-for-10 on free throws — grabbed 11 rebounds and helped force post Ronnie Harrison into 1-for-7 shooting. Harrison, who scored 20 points against New Mexico last week, scored two points in the first half.
Vinny Sigona, the Lions’ volume outside shooter, managed two first-half shots — both misses from behind the arc. The ’Bows rotated several defenders, including 6-foot-8 Isaac Finlinson and 6-3 Erickson on 6-foot Sigona. Sigona finished with six points.
“We need to be more physical,” Johnson said. “We have to take contact, and play basketball through that contact. I think that’s my biggest takeaway from tonight’s game. There are a lot of teams bigger and stronger, we have to be able to work through that contact.”
Erickson said one of the emphasis was to frustrate Sigona “and make the other guys (try to) score and trying to pack the paint.”
Erickson said UH’s defense “was pretty solid. … (This game) teaches to get our hands out a little more. We’ve got the strength to be able to play with our chests and our feet. Once we get our hands out of there, we’ll be able to be great defensively.”
In rebounding from the Oregon loss, Johnson said: “We should have won that game. It didn’t need to come down to one point. We should have won that game by six or seven.”
BIG WEST
Cal State Northridge 93, North Dakota 85
Josiah Davis scored 25 points and Larry Hughes II had 23 to lead the Matadors (2-1) past the Fighting Hawks for their first road win.
Greyson Uelmon led North Dakota (0-3) with 24 points.
Portland 67, UC Davis 63
Joel Foxwell scored 23 points and Mikah Ballew drilled a clutch 3-pointer late to help lead the host Pilots (3-0) win a battle of unbeaten teams.
The Aggies led 32-31 at halftime and were within a single possession late before Portland hit free throws to clinch it. Isaiah Chappell scored 14 points to lead four Davis (2-1) players in doublr figures.
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Star-Advertiser staff
