The University of Hawai’i basketball team came up short in its 2016-17 season opener, falling to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 69-68, on Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Noah Allen scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Sheriff Drammeh added 17 points to lead the Warriors. Freshman reserve center Ido Flaisher added 13 points and seven rebounds, and Jack Purchase scored eight for the Warriors.
Hawai’i rallied from an 11-point deficit in the second half to take a brief one-point lead late in the game, but SIUE eventually held on for the win.
Drammeh and Purchase each hit a 3-pointer during a 10-0 surge that gave Hawai’i a 32-22 lead with 7:04 remaining in the first half.