A first-half barrage from 3-point range propelled the University of Hawaii basketball team to a 77-66 win over Delaware State tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The Rainbow Warriors hit nine shots from behind the 3-point arc before halftime and finished 10-for-28 for the game while improving to 6-7 heading into their Big West opener at Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 5.

UH forward Jack Purchase drained five shots from long range, four in the first half, and posted season highs with 21 points and eight rebounds before a “whiteout’ night crowd of 3,314. After going 0-for-10 from the field and scoring just one point in losses to Princeton and Illinois State, Purchase has averaged 17 points in UH’s last three games.

Freshman guard Leland Green set season highs with three 3-pointers and 11 points in the first half. Guard Sheriff Drammeh broke out of a personal shooting slump with 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting in his first double-figure scoring night in eight games. Brocke Stepteau added 10 points, going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.

UH shot 46.3 percent from the field overall, outrebounded the Hornets 35-21 and had a 19-1 advantage in second-chance points in the ’Bows’ second straight win to close an all-Oahu nonconference schedule

UH led 32-27 after Delaware State’s Devin Morgan hit a 3 with 5:16 left in the first half. UH held the Hornets scoreless for the remainder of the half and went into the break on a 9-0 run and with a 41-27 lead.

UH scored the first five points of the second half, with Purchase draining his fifth 3-pointer. The ’Bows led by as many as 20 and Delaware State closed to 12 with 2:24 left, but UH maintained a double-digit cushion.

Morgan led Delaware State (3-12) with a game-high 26 points on 9-for-13 shooting, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range, in the Hornets’ 12th road game of the season.