Hawai‘i suffers first loss to Portland but claims Rainbow Classic title on tiebreaker

HONOLULU — Hawai‘i's bid for an undefeated start to the men's basketball season came to a frustrating end Monday night as the Rainbow Warriors endured a prolonged second-half scoring drought in a 73-66 loss to Portland in the finale of the 60th Annual OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

Despite the loss, Hawai‘i (3-1) claimed its third consecutive Rainbow Classic championship by winning the tournament's tiebreaker for fewest points allowed. The Rainbow Warriors finished the three-game event with a 2-1 record, defeating Bethesda and UT Arlington before falling to the Pilots.

Tanner Cuff led Hawai‘i with a game-high 22 points, connecting on six 3-pointers, while Zack Davidson added 18 points on 9-of-17 shooting despite battling foul trouble. Bol Dengdit finished with 15 points, and Chance Trujillo contributed 11 points and a team-high seven assists.

Those four players accounted for all 66 of Hawai‘i's points as a shorthanded Rainbow Warriors team struggled to find consistent offensive production.

Portland (3-1) was led by James O'Donnell, who finished with 18 points and nine rebounds and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

The Rainbow Warriors appeared poised to take control early in the second half after overcoming a four-point halftime deficit. Hawai‘i scored the first four points after intermission to tie the game at 40 and briefly regained the lead on three occasions.

Trujillo connected on a 3-pointer to put Hawai‘i ahead 46-44, and Davidson scored inside to give the Rainbow Warriors a 49-48 advantage with 16:07 remaining.

But the momentum quickly disappeared.

Portland's Hunter Adam answered with a 3-pointer to put the Pilots back in front, and Hawai‘i never led again. The Rainbow Warriors missed 18 consecutive field-goal attempts during a stretch in which they went more than nine minutes without scoring.

Portland capitalized on the drought, gradually extending its advantage to 11 points when Riley Parker knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:22 remaining.

Cuff finally ended Hawai‘i's scoring drought with a 3-pointer at the 7:01 mark, but the Rainbow Warriors never got closer than six points the rest of the way.

The offensive struggles represented a dramatic reversal from Hawai‘i's first three games, which included a record-breaking 116-44 victory over Bethesda and a 71-62 win over UT Arlington.

Hawai‘i shot just 25% from the field in the second half and finished at 35.7% for the game. Portland, meanwhile, connected on 51.2% of its shots.

The Pilots established their offensive rhythm early, shooting 67% in the first half and making five of eight attempts from beyond the arc.

Hawai‘i initially led 11-6 before enduring its first extended scoring drought of the evening, going more than five minutes without a point. Portland responded with nine unanswered points and maintained its advantage throughout the remainder of the half.

The Pilots took a 40-36 lead into the locker room despite Hawai‘i shooting 50% from the field and committing just one first-half turnover.

Portland made 21 of 24 free throws compared with Hawai‘i's 7 of 14, providing another significant advantage in the seven-point victory. Riley Parker added 14 points for the Pilots, while Jaxson Olvera contributed 12.

Although the Rainbow Warriors were unable to complete their comeback, they still left the tournament with another championship trophy.

Cuff and Davidson were named to the All-Tournament Team, joining Portland's Jaxson Olvera and UT Arlington's Mier Panoam and Teodor Simic. O'Donnell earned Most Outstanding Player honors.

Hawai‘i will look to rebound when it faces Washington State in a neutral-site game Wednesday, Nov. 18, in Everett, Washington. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Pacific time (5 p.m. Hawai‘i time).