HONOLULU, Hawaii – A hot shooting start by Hawai'i Men's Basketball (7-3) propelled the Rainbow Warriors to a 78-61 victory over the Charlotte 49ers (6-5) in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic on Sunday evening at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Hawai'i shot an absurd 64.3 percent (18-of-28) from the field and 62.5 percent (five-of-eight) from beyond the arc in the first half to take a 44-31 lead at intermission. The Rainbow Warriors cooled off in the second half, but the Niners could not overcome the early deficit.
"Defensively, we did a really poor job of guarding in that first half," said Charlotte Head Men's Basketball Coach Aaron Fearne.