By: Kennedy Choo

After a slow first half, the University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors found themselves in a tight 55–52 battle with a gritty UTEP Miners squad late in the second half.

With 3:00 remaining, senior forward Gytis Nemeiksa launched a three from the right wing that rattled off the back iron. Senior forward and team captain Harry Rouhliadeff was there to clean it up, muscling through two Miner defenders for a putback layup to push Hawaiʻi’s lead to 57–52.

“You’ve got to stay aggressive, that’s what it comes with,” Rouhliadeff said.

Rouhliadeff led the Warriors (10-2, 2-0 Big West Conference) with 22 points, seven rebounds, and a block in the victory. Graduate guard Dre Bullock added 15 points, six rebounds, and a steal, providing a steady offensive presence alongside Rouhliadeff to help Hawaiʻi maintain control down the stretch.

“Coach (Eran Ganot) is always saying, keep staying composed,” Bullock said. “Basketball is a game of runs. Everybody finds their momentum. Maybe in the first four minutes, maybe in the last four minutes.”

With 15:10 left in the second half, Bullock came off a screen set by Nemeiksa and received a pass from sophomore point guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor. Driving into traffic, Bullock absorbed contact from three UTEP (3-6) defenders and converted a tough double-clutch layup, completing a clutch and-one to extend the Warriors’ lead to 38–34.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team, especially in a game like that,” head coach Eran Ganot said.

Hawaiʻi opened the game with a 7–3 lead in the first four minutes, but struggled offensively for the remainder of the first half, shooting 9-for-29 as UTEP built a 14-point lead with 5:42 remaining in the period.

“Harry was aggressive, we finished the half well, and that poured into the second half,” Ganot said.

The Warriors carried that momentum into the second half, opening on a 13–8 run behind Rouhliadeff and Bullock to help secure the win.

“The big thing in this game was that we hung in, finished strong, and didn’t hang our heads,” Ganot said.

Hawaiʻi will head into its finals period next, traveling to face UC Riverside at 3 p.m. HT on Jan. 1 in Riverside, California.