Purchase scores 22, leads Hawaii to 84-59 win over Howard

Dec 30, 2017, 07:16 am

HONOLULU -- Jack Purchase hit six 3-pointers and finished with 22 points -- both season bests -- to lead five Hawaii players in double figures and the Rainbow Warriors used a big second-half run to beat Howard 84-59 on Friday night.

Sheriff Drammeh added 17 points, Mike Thomas and Brocke Stepteau scored 13 apiece and Gibson Johnson had 11 points for Hawaii (9-4). The Rainbow Warriors shot 54.9 percent from the field, 56.5 percent from 3-point range and hit 13 3s -- all season highs.

Howard went scoreless for nearly 6 1/2 minutes as Hawaii scored 17 consecutive points -- including seven by Drammeh -- capped by back-to-back 3s by Purchase that made it 61-43 midway through the second half. The Bison, who committed four turnovers and missed 9 of 10 field-goal attempts during a nearly 10-minute span, trailed by at least 14 points the rest of the way.

Howard (3-13) shot 56.6 percent, and the Rainbow Warriors 53.8 percent, from the field in the first half but Hawaii scored 14 points off nine Bison turnovers to take a 38-36 lead into the break.

Howard's RJ Cole scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half. He missed all six of his second-half shots as the Bison shot 27.3 percent (6 of 22) after halftime.