HONOLULU — The University of Hawaii men's basketball team delivered a historic performance Friday night, setting a program record for largest margin of victory with a 116-44 rout of Bethesda in the opening game of the 60th annual OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
The Rainbow Warriors (2-0) overwhelmed the Lion Angels with a balanced offensive attack that featured seven players scoring in double figures, while head coach Eran Ganot celebrated his 200th career victory.
Hawaii's 72-point victory shattered the previous school record of 67 points, established in a 110-43 win over BYU-Hawaii on Nov. 20, 1962. The Rainbow Warriors' 116 points also represented the fourth-highest scoring total in program history and their most since scoring 117 against Memphis State on March 2, 1974.
Zack Davidson led Hawaii with 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while Chance Trujillo connected on four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points. Tanner Cuff also scored 14 points, Kellen Hampton added 13 and Bol Dengdit recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Marcus Adams Jr. contributed 12 points, and Jaden Matingou added 10 as all 11 Rainbow Warriors who played scored in the lopsided victory.
The milestone was particularly meaningful for Ganot, who improved his career coaching record to 200 victories, including 197 at Hawaii. His other three wins came while serving as acting head coach at Saint Mary's before taking over the Rainbow Warriors program.
Hawaii briefly trailed early after Bethesda scored the game's first three points and took a 5-3 lead. The Rainbow Warriors responded with an 8-0 run to move ahead and never looked back.
The Rainbow Warriors established their first double-digit advantage midway through the opening half before turning the game into a blowout with a dominant closing stretch. Hawaii outscored Bethesda by 29 points during the final minutes of the half, building a commanding 61-21 halftime lead.
Hawaii shot 58% from the field in the first half while limiting Bethesda to just 29%, setting the stage for an even more decisive second half.
The Rainbow Warriors continued to build their advantage after halftime, eventually reaching the century mark when Lueth Awan knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:15 remaining. It marked the 43rd time in program history Hawaii had scored at least 100 points in a game.
The lead reached 70 points with 4:07 remaining before Hawaii finished with its record-setting 72-point margin.
The Rainbow Warriors shot 53.6% from the field for the game while holding Bethesda to 26.3%. Hawaii also dominated inside, scoring 60 points in the paint and collecting 62 rebounds, the program's highest rebounding total since grabbing 70 against Redlands on Jan. 28, 1972.
Hawaii's offensive production extended well beyond its leading scorers. Tiger Cuff distributed a game-high seven assists, while Awan provided nine points and nine rebounds off the bench.
The Rainbow Warriors also connected on 12 3-pointers, demonstrating the offensive balance that helped them turn a competitive opening few minutes into one of the most dominant performances in school history.
The victory followed Hawaii's dramatic 74-73 season-opening win over Seattle on Monday, when Matingou hit the winning jumper with 1.2 seconds remaining. After needing a last-second shot to secure their first victory, the Rainbow Warriors left little doubt in their second game of the season.
The Rainbow Classic opened with UT Arlington defeating Portland 89-85 in Friday's first game.
Hawaii will face UT Arlington on Sunday at 5 p.m. in its second game of the tournament. Portland and Bethesda will meet in the day's opening contest at 2:30 p.m.
The matchup against UT Arlington figures to provide a more significant test for the Rainbow Warriors, who will look to build on their historic performance and remain unbeaten to start the season.