The University of Hawaii men’s basketball team’s Rainbow Warriors lost 87-69 at home at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, unable to maintain their strong start to the season as they faltered against the skill of No. 10 North Carolina. A crowd of 8,377 watched as the home team’s shooting went cold in the first half, going just 12-for-33 from the field and a pitiful 2-for-14 from 3-point range, according to the KHON2 broadcast. The Warriors are now at a respectable 4-1 after the visiting Tar Heels improved their record to 3-1 thanks to Hawaii’s relative freeze.
In a revealing statistic that didn’t accurately represent the outcome, Hawaii outscored North Carolina 40-27, giving them the advantage on the boards. According to information released by University of Hawai’i Athletics, the Tar Heels nevertheless successfully took advantage of the paint, scoring 44 of their points in that high-percentage area. Tanner Christensen and Gytis Nemeiksa both recorded double-doubles; Nemeiksa led the team with 16 points, but it was unable to stop North Carolina’s comeback.
Elliot Cadeau and RJ Davis of North Carolina scored 35 points between them, with Davis shooting his way to 18 points, according to KHON2. Due to their strength and ability to drive to the hoop, the visitors were able to draw fouls and make use of the charity line, making 26 of their 34 free throw attempts. This offensive effectiveness stood in sharp contrast to Hawaii’s difficulties, particularly in the early going of the game.
The Rainbow Warriors had a difficult start, missing 10 of their first 11 shots, but they were able to briefly recover and get back into the game. With ten points in the opening nine minutes, Akira Jacobs played a crucial role and gave them optimism that this game would turn out well. The University of Hawai’i Athletics recap noted that the Tar Heels never looked back after building a 58-39 lead, but they quickly put an end to whatever momentum Hawaii intended to generate with a spectacular 17-3 run in the second half.
As they are ready to host Hawaii Pacific on Tuesday, the Rainbow Warriors won’t have much time to recover. The winners from North Carolina will stay on the island longer before competing in the Maui Invitational.
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