MAUI, Hawaii — Michael Thomas scored 12 points and hit back-to-back baskets — the second one a dunk — late in the game that pushed Hawaii into a slender final lead to beat Pittsburgh 74-70 Friday night.
Isaac Fleming led the Rainbow Warriors (4-1) with 15 points, Nequs Webster-Chan and Garrett Nevels added 11 each and Aaron Valdes scored 10.
Chris Jones scored 19 to led Pitt (2-1). Jones hit a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left to bring the Panthers within 73-70.
Hawaii sank seven of nine free throws in the final 51 seconds, nursing a slight lead. Webster-Chan hit a 3-pointer as Hawaii, working for the final shot, grabbed a 40-36 halftime lead.
Pitt roared back to briefly lead 58-55 when James Robinson scored four straight points, and the game was tied eight times down the stretch until Thomas hit his back-to-back buckets.
Michael Young scored 13 for Pitt and Robinson 12.
Women’s basketball: No. 14 Cal survives Hawaii rally 79-72
HONOLULU — Fourteenth-ranked Cal survived a late Hawaii rally, a hard takedown of Brittany Boyd and a pair of technical fouls to beat Hawaii 79-72 in the Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Classic on Friday night.
Coach Lindsay Gottlieb was tossed with 24 seconds to play after floor leader Boyd, who scored 17 points with nine assists, went down hard on a foul.
Ashleigh Karaitiana sank three of the four technicals. The Rainbow Wahines (2-1) then forced a turnover and Shawna-Lei Kuehu hit a bank shot cutting the gap to 77-72
Boyd hit two free throws with 11 seconds left to seal the win. Mikayla Cowling scored 18 points with nine rebounds for Cal (3-0) and Courtney Range added 14.
Kuehu scored a career-high 29 for Hawaii, Karaitiana added 14.
The Bears trailed for the first time this season, falling behind by seven. But when Hawaii went 4:10 without scoring, Cal rallied 13-0.