PHOENIX, Ariz. – In their first road game of the season, the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team staged a massive second-half rally before falling to Grand Canyon 78-72 on Tuesday night at Global Credit Union Arena. The Rainbow Warriors slipped to 5-2 this year with their second loss in their last three games.

Through two periods, UH nearly erased an 18-point deficit in the second half and came within one point in the final minutes of the game. But the Antelopes scored on consecutive possessions and sealed the game at the free throw line to thwart UH’s comeback effort in the programs’ first-ever meeting.

Gytis Nemeikša scored a career-high 24 points and Marcus Greene added 17 to fuel UH’s frenetic rally. The duo combined for 30 points in the second half and contributed 41 of the team’s whopping 49 points off the bench.

Tyon Grant-Foster led four GCU players in double figures with 23 points and went 11 of 15 from the foul line to help the Lopes to their third straight win.

After opening the season with six straight home games, UH got off to a slow start in its first road game of the year. The Bows were undone by a first half in which they shot 32 percent from the floor, converted 9 of 16 from the foul line and had 13 turnovers. GCU turned 13 of those turnovers into 16 points and took a 43-27 lead into the locker room.

Four minutes into the second half, the Lopes extended their lead to as many as 18 points. But the Bows suddenly got hot. At one point, UH converted 10 field goals in a row and a three-pointer from Nemeiksa clinched the win, 58-57, with 7:20 left.

It was a close call from there, as UH got back within one point, 67-66 Ryan Rapp Layup with 2:29 remaining. But UH couldn’t get over the hump. GCU scored shots on back-to-back possessions, while UH failed to capitalize on the next two chances, giving the Lopes a five-point lead with a minute left. GCU scored its final six points at the free throw line, where it finished the game with 24 of 32 points.

UH shot at an impressive 58 percent after halftime, while the Lopes were held to just 33 percent in the second half. UH also beat the Lopes 35-25. But despite turning the ball over just seven times in the second frame, UH finished the game with a season-high 20 turnovers.

The Rainbow Warriors remain on the road for their Big West opener against Long Beach State on Saturday, December 7th. The start date is 11:00 a.m. HT/1:00 p.m. PT.

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