Aaron Valdes scored a game-high 15 points and Sai Tummala added 12 points tonight to help Hawai’i pull away from Northern Iowa, 68-52, in the opening round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
A spirited crowd of 6,313 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched Isaac Fleming add 11 points and eight rebounds off the bench and Stefan Jovanovic contribute 11 points, nine boards and four blocks as the Rainbow Warriors improved to 8-1 and advanced to Wednesday’s 4 p.m. semifinal against No. 3-ranked Oklahoma (8-0). The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
Northern Iowa, which has already defeated two Top 5-ranked teams (North Carolina and Iowa State) this season, fell to 7-4 and into Wednesday’s 6:30 p.