A little of the old and a little of the new got the Gib Arnold era started with a bang.

Senior Hiram Thompson poured in a career-high 21 points and freshman guard Bo Barnes provided a huge spark off the bench with 19 to carry Hawaii to a season-opening 77-59 win over Montana State last night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

A crowd of 4,735 was on hand for Arnold’s Division I head-coaching debut with the revamped and revitalized Rainbow Warriors. Joston Thomas added 18 points and two blocks and UH shot 49.2 percent from the field, including 43.5 percent (10-for-23) on 3-pointers.

By the end of the momentous night, Arnold was overcome with emotion. His father, former UH coach Frank Arnold, was on hand to watch the game.

"Special night. Special night for me as a coach," Arnold said. "Got a little emotional in the locker room after. It was a special night for the majority of our team (six players), for who it was a first time they played a Division I game."

In the opener of the 47th Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic, Hawaii got a leg up in the round-robin tourney by blowing the game wide open with a 21-2 run in the second half.

UH continues play in the Classic today against Cal State Fullerton at 7 p.m. Fullerton played Central Michigan in a late-finishing game last night.

Thompson, the team’s only returning starter, seized control in his 24 minutes on the floor. He was in rare form with his floor leadership, driving for a series of layups and hitting open shots. He went 8-for-9 with three 3-pointers.

The 6-foot-3 point guard, whose previous best was 19, hit the hardwood several times, both on offense and defense.

"Coach just wants me to go out and be a senior leader … and that means scoring, or that means getting everyone open. He just wanted me to lead the team," said Thompson, who had four assists and two turnovers. "I’m not worried about stats or anything, I’m just trying to get the wins. Whatever that takes, I’m going to try to do."

Barnes was a revelation in his first D-I action, going 5-for-9 on 3s, more than making up for a scoreless night by starting shooting guard Zane Johnson.

"Hiram really opened it up with his drive-and-kicks," Barnes said. "He got me open looks, and I knocked them down. … We worked hard all preseason, so it was good to come out and get a win."

Thomas, a sophomore forward, contributed toughness inside, especially once the Rainbows went small in the second half with no center. He and five other Rainbows grabbed six or more rebounds, including freshman forward Trevor Wiseman, who had five on the offensive end in 18 minutes.

The Rainbows overcame some early jitters, poor free-throw shooting (9-for-20, 45 percent) and an eight-point MSU lead midway through the first half.

MSU (0-1) of the Big Sky Conference controlled most of the first half with some torrid shooting from deep. The Bobcats were 8-for-14 from distance at halftime with the game tied at 32.

The Bobcats struggled mightily after the break and finished with 37.3 percent shooting. Meanwhile, the Rainbows sizzled at 54.8 percent in the second half. Arnold said the team made no significant changes, but UH did go without either of their centers, Vander Joaquim or Douglas Kurtz, for much of their breakaway run, which put UH up 75-51 with 4:25 left in the game.

"It was a combination of things," said MSU coach Brad Huse. "Thought their guards got away from us, got to the basket on us and drew fouls. We got a little frustrated on the offensive end and had a hard time scoring. A combination of their defense and then our inability to keep them out of the paint."

Barnes’ gunslinging — he hit five of his first seven 3-point attempts — was lethal. He played 36 minutes, more than any other Rainbow.

"How fun is Bo Barnes to watch?" Arnold asked. "We’re going to have him here for four years. He’s an assassin, with a scope deep. We tell him, shoot it. He’s got the green light from me and the coaching staff."

Arnold showed a willingness to play several of his youngest players at once. Freshmen Barnes, Wiseman and Bobby Miles saw time together.

The Bobcats’ returning All-Big Sky forward, Bobby Howard, led the visitors with 17 points and nine rebounds. Guard Erik Rush added 15 points and nine assists.

UH junior point guard Anthony Salter saw 16 minutes, a surprise after he missed about two weeks leading up to the Classic with a tear in his left heel.