By Kennedy Choo

The University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors capped their weekend with another 20-plus-point win, rolling past Cal State Northridge 89–68 on Saturday night.

Hawaiʻi struggled to find its range from beyond the arc early, shooting just 1-for-12 from three in the first half. But the Rainbow Warriors caught fire late before the break, sparked by back-to-back threes from junior forward Ike Finlinson and a pop-out triple from senior center Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson to close the half.

The Rainbow Warriors (15-4, 7-2 Big West Conference) carried that momentum into the second half, shooting 7-for-14 from beyond the arc and finishing the game at 40% from three-point range.

“Just the confidence we showed in the second half. It’s a mindset,” Johnson said. “It was gonna be a toughness battle.”

With 17:20 remaining in the second half, Johnson received a pass on the right wing from graduate guard Hunter Erickson in transition and pulled up from beyond the arc, knocking down his second three-pointer of the game over a Matador (11-10, 4-5 BWC) defender.

Johnson finished the night with 18 points and seven rebounds, going 3-for-4 from deep.

“We’ve said this over and over—if we start passing up good looks, we’re not good at anything,” head coach Eran Ganot said. “I’m proud of our guys. They put in the work, and they have the confidence to stay with it.”

Alongside Johnson, fellow Utahn Hunter Erickson filled the stat sheet with 11 points, six rebounds, and eight assists in his second game as the lead guard while filling in for sophomore guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor.

“He was battling foul trouble, but he was still engaged,” Ganot said.

The starters set the tone early, but Hawaiʻi’s bench provided key energy and depth, helping maintain the lead and close out the victory down the stretch.

Senior forward Gytis Nemeiksa poured in 16 points off the bench, going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc and providing key minutes to keep pressure on the Matadors.

“I’m happy that I made some threes, and we got the win,” Nemeiksa said.

Despite the 2–0 weekend, Ganot and his staff remain focused on maintaining their standard in the heart of conference play.

“It’s incredibly important,” Ganot said. “The reward is playing in bigger games, but also the reward is hard, and it’s a blessing.”

Hawaiʻi heads back on the road to face UC Irvine at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Bren Events Center. The game will air live on ESPN 1420 AM and 92.7 FM