Hawaii coach Laura Beeman wanted a test before the regular season, but hoped to avoid a repeat of last year’s meeting with Hawaii Pacific.

After falling to the Sharks to open last season, the Rainbow Wahine were pushed again in Wednesday’s exhibition game. This time UH put together a surge in the second half and pulled away to an 86-76 win at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

“First off the entire team has to give mad props to HPU,” Beeman said. “They hit shots, they play incredibly hard … and we knew coming into the game that it could be like last year if we don’t get it together.

“I want to thank them for getting us better because they did.”

The matchup between the state’s lone Division I program and top Division II team in recent years was the first UH event played without a cap on attendance. The crowd of 427 saw HPU get hot from 3-point range in the second quarter to take a 44-38 lead into halftime. UH caught and passed the Sharks in the third period and avenged the 82-74 loss to HPU in last season’s opening game played in an empty arena back in December.

“It was awesome playing in front of the fans again, UH senior Amy Atwell said. “The freshmen class coming in last year didn’t know what it’s like to play in front the fans in Hawaii. … We have a great fan base and they’re always so enthusiastic and loving and caring.“

Atwell led three Rainbow Wahine players in double figures with 23 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field and 8-for-11 from the free-throw line. Daejah Phillips added 16 points and 15 rebounds and guard Nae Nae Calhoun finished with 11 points, nine coming from the free-throw line.

Phillips’ play on defense and on the boards helped energize UH in the second half when the Wahine shot 52% from the field. The Wahine attacked the basket throughout and went 37-for-44 from the free-throw line.

“It was nervous to have (the fans),” Phillips said. “But once you start playing and getting up and down the court it’s, ‘OK it’s time to go,’ and that’s what we did and that’s super fun.”

HPU drained 15 3-pointers in last season’s win against UH, the program’s first victory over the Rainbow Wahine, and came out firing from long range again on Wednesday. The Sharks hit 14 of 32 3-point attempts with Tavia Rowell, a transfer from Grand Canyon, going 6-for-10 from behind the arc on her way to a game-high 29 points.

Julia Razo added 15 points and made three 3-pointers and senior Amy Baum, the two-time PacWest Player of the Year, finished with nine points, seven rebounds and eight assists.

“I’m pleased by our play tonight, didn’t know what to expect with a relatively new team with two returneers and we hung in there, which was a nice surprise,” HPU coach Reid Takatsuka said.

“I think the difference was (UH’s) size. I thought they did a great job of crashing the boards and they did a great job of executing down the stretch.”

The game was tied at 60 with under a minute left in the third quarter when UH took the lead on two Phillips free throws. After Baum missed a shot with less than 10 seconds left, Kelci Imai grabbed the rebound, raced downcourt and found Jacque David under the basket for a layup at the buzzer.

“Jacque just continued to run the floor and she’s got such great hands and soft touch at the finish,” Beeman said. “I thought that was the momentum shift going into the fourth quarter.”

UH opens the regular season on Tuesday at San Diego then faces Southern Cal on Nov. 11 in Los Angeles.

HPU opens against Western Oregon on Nov. 12 at the Saint Martin’s Invitational in Washington.

“This is going to be a fun group,” Beeman said. “They’re coachable, and very intense.”