Rainbows use strong bench play to beat Pacific to win Rainbow Classic
Relying on reserve power, the Hawaii basketball team defeated Pacific 76-66 to win the Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic in SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
A crowd of 2,390 saw the ’Bows overcome foul trouble to win their third in a row to open the season.
Marcus Greene, a 6-foot-2 transfer from Houston Christian, came off the bench to score 18 points and grab seven rebounds. He entered 2 minutes, 34 seconds into the game when the ’Bows went to a three-guard lineup. Greene also defended the wing and ran the point.
The ’Bows outscored the Tigers 44-6 in bench points.
Gytis Nemeiksa contributed 18 points and a team-high 10 rebounds as a reserve forward.
UH center Tanner Christensen continued his dominance in the low post. Late in the game, he forced Pacific’s Lamar Washington into missing three consecutive layups. Christensen then blocked forward Elias Ralph to trigger a fast break.
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Elijah Fisher, a 6-6 guard, scored 15 first-half points — nine on free throws — to help the Tigers take a 37-35 lead into the intermission.
Fisher is a former 5-star prospect who previously played at Texas Tech and DePaul. While his aim was slightly off — 3-for-8 in first-half shooting — he created offense with his drives into the lane.