On one end, UH-Hilo couldn’t guard the 3. On the other, Parker Farris couldn’t get open to take 3s.
That’s no recipe for success against a Division I team.
UCLA transfer Noah Allen continued to emerge as Hawaii’s best offensive threat Tuesday night, burning the Vulcans for a career-high 24 points on six 3-pointers as the Rainbow Warriors cruised to an 86-55 victory at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.
“Noah Allen is going to be one of the best players in the Big West,” UH-Hilo coach GE Coleman said.
Unlike past meetings with the Rainbow Warriors (3-2), this game counted for the Vulcans (1-3), who have lost three in a row, shooting 35 percent and committing 19 turnovers.
Farris came into the game averaging 27 points a contest, but the senior guard was held to just five on one-of-seven shooting.
“They did a great job of making everything difficult for Parker tonight,” Coleman said. “Every catch was contested.”
Starting for the first time this season, junior forward Brian Ishola led UH-Hilo with 18 points. The 6-foot-6 transfer from North Dakota State shot 6 of 11 from the floor and grabbed six rebounds.
“Brian is still shaking the rust off and is going to get better and better,” Coleman said.
Hawaii hit 13 3-pointers, just one off the school mark, and went 9 of 18 from beyond the arc to lead 45-24 at halftime.
Sophomore point guard Brocke Stepteau scored a career-high 11 points with two 3-pointers and a game-high seven assists, and Sheriff Drammeh (16 points, 3 3-pointers) and Gibson Johnson (14 points, eight rebounds) also scored in double-digits for Hawaii.
“We can’t expect to beat a team when we allow them that many open three-pointers, they are too good,” Coleman said.
Allen also grabbed 10 boards as Hawaii outrebounded the Vuls 42-33.
Darius Johnson-Wilson collected seven rebounds but shot 2 of 10 and scored just four points for UH-Hilo. Ryley Callaghan made two 3-pointers and finished with 10 points, and Randan Berinobis added six.
The Vulcans get more than a week off before heading back to Honolulu to open PacWest play against Chaminade on Nov. 30.
The Rainbow Warriors are busy after Thanksgiving, hosting Troy on Friday and Arkansas Pine-Bluff on Sunday.
