HONOLULU — Four games into his University of Hawaii basketball career, Roderick Bobbitt has already begun re-writing the Rainbow Warriors history book.
Bobbitt, a 6-foot-3 junior point guard who transferred from Indian Hills (Calif.) Community College, scored 12 points, dished 10 assists and made 10 steals Wednesday night to help UH soar past UH-Hilo, 89-71, before 1,666 fans at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Bobbitt became only the second player in school history to record a triple-double, almost 29 years after freshman Reggie Carter accomplished the feat with 12 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds against Yale on Dec. 26, 1975. Bobbitt’s 10 steals also broke Tony Webster’s school record of nine set in 1983.
“Early in the game, I noticed I had about four steals, so I just focused on defense,” said Bobbitt, who had six steals in the second half. “I love playing the passing lanes.”
The Rainbow Warriors’ 19 steals was one short of the team record set in 1988.
Aaron Valdes scored a game-high 31 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Garrett Nevels added 14 points and six rebounds and Isaac Fleming added 12 points and four assists as Hawaii improved to 3-1; the Vulcans fell to 1-2.
Quincy Smith contributed 11 points and five rebounds off the bench.
Tre Johnson led UH-Hilo with 25 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, Marcello Campbell added 13 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Darious Johnson-Wilson contributed 10 points and six rebounds.
“The thing with this team is, we gotta get better, and we’re gonna get better,” Rainbow Warriors coach Benjy Taylor said. “The effort has to be there all 40 minutes. We’re still a work in progress, but we’re having fun, we’re having a good time. This team has a high ceiling, there’s a lot of room for improvement.”
Hawaii led 48-39 at halftime but Hilo closed it to 48-41 after a pair of free throws by Johnson two minutes into the second half. Isaac Fleming then scored on a driving layup to start an 18-4 run capped by Valdes’ layup to make it 66-45 with 12:45 remaining, and Hilo could not get closer than 13 points the rest of the way.
“We knew we were going to get their best shot,” Vulcans coach GE Coleman said. “I felt we needed to get after their guards, but Nevels and Bobbitt got off to a good start, and we didn’t respond well to that.”
The Rainbow Warriors jumped out to leads of 9-0, 19-5 and then 28-13 midway through the first half, but Hilo chipped away and closed it to 48-39 with a 10-4 run in the final three and a half minutes before intermission.
Valdes had 19 points and six rebounds in the first half.
“He’s a stat stuffer, and I feel he could get a triple-double himself,” Taylor said of Valdes, a 6-5 sophomore swingman. “He’s that athletic. I had a heart-to-heart talk with him yesterday. He said he likes the game to come to him, but I told him no, he’s gotta go out and get it, and be aggressive. And that’s what happened tonight.”
Taylor also had high praise for Johnson, a highly active 6-8 junior forward.
“That’s a man, he can play,” Taylor said. “That’s a good basketball player, regardless of level, or island, city, whatever. He’s a monster.”
