Noel Coleman scored 22 points and Kamaka Hepa added 19 points tonight to help Hawai’i hold off Pepperdine, 76-70, in the opening round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
An energetic and vocal crowd of 3,713 in SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center plus a national TV audience on ESPN2 watched JoVon McClanahan add a career-high 17 points and Samuta Avea contribute 11 points as the Warriors improved to 7-3 and advanced to Friday’s 7 p.m. semifinal against Washington State (5-6). Maxwell Lewis scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Waves, who fell to 6-4.