HONOLULU – The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team concluded its season-opening homestand with a 70-61 win Tuesday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. With the win UH improved to 3-0, its first such start since the 2020-21 season. 

JoVon McClanahan led a balanced attack with 13 points while adding five assists and a steal. Three others finished in double-figures. Justin McKoy had 11 points and seven rebounds while Matthue Cotton and Juan Munoz each recorded 10 points for their first double-digit games as Rainbow Warriors. 

UH led for the near entirety of the game but took a while to finally shake off a scrappy NAU (2-4) squad. The ‘Bows shot just 5-of-24 from three-point land, but it was a trio of three-pointers in the second half that powered the game’s pivotal run. 

Both teams started slow offensively, but UH started warming up and took a double-digit lead, 16-6, less than eight minutes into the game. NAU surged ahead, 27-26, on the strength of a 19-5 run over the next six minutes. The ‘Bows, however, had the last say of the half with a 9-2 run, capped by a buzzer-beating three by McClanahan that put UH up 35-29 going into the locker room.

UH never trailed in the second half but NAU did make a run at the ‘Bows cutting the deficit to 47-46 with 10 minutes left. However UH went on a decisive 11-2 run, fueled by eight points and a pair of key three-pointers by Munoz. Cotton’s three-pointer capped the run as their lead ballooned to 58-48 with eight minutes left.  

The Rainbow Warriors next head to the road for the first time this season when they compete in the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Springs, Nov. 24-25. UH will face UT Rio Grande Valley to open the tournament on Friday, Nov. 24 with a 3:00 p.m. HT tipoff. 

 

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