Warrior Insider

Matt Knowling scored 18 points to lead Yale to a thrilling 62-59 overtime victory over the University of Hawai’i basketball team in the championship game of the Outrigger Rainbow Classic on Monday night.

A crowd of 2,601 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center watched the Bulldogs improve to 4-0, including 3-0 in the four-team tournament. The Rainbow Warriors dropped to 2-1.

Yale scored the first five points of the overtime period, but the Warriors answered with the next five to tie it at 56.

A breakaway dunk by Isaiah Kelly gave the Bulldogs a 58-56 advantage in the final minute, and then Yale secured the victory with free throws.

Hawai’i had the final possession, but missed two 3-point attempts to tie it.

JoVon McClanahan led the Warriors with 15 points. Noel Coleman added 13 points, and Bernardo da Silva scored 12. Coleman and Da Silva were named to the All-Tournament Team.

In a sign of things to come throughout the first half, neither team scored in the opening three minutes. Hawai’i broke through first, with Da Silva scoring on a shot inside the paint to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead with 16:39 remaining. The Warriors led 10-4 midway through the first half, but the Bulldogs went on an 11-2 surge to take a 15-12 lead with 4:13 remaining.

Yale eventually took a 17-16 lead at intermission. The Bulldogs shot 29 percent (8 for 28) from the field, while the Warriors were at 24 percent (7 for 29) in the first 20 minutes.

The pace picked up in the second half, with neither team going ahead by more than five points.

A driving layup by Da Silva with 2:36 remaining tied the score at 45. He was also fouled on the play, and he made the ensuing free throw to give the Warriors a one-point lead. Yale responded with two free throws on the next possession to regain the lead, but McClanahan then drained a 3-pointer with 1:48 remaining to give the Warriors a 49-47 advantage.

Knowling hit a driving layup with 1:33 remaining to tie it at 49. Both teams then made two free throws in the final minute to tie it again at 51-all and set up overtime.

In Monday’s first game, Eastern Washington defeated Mississippi Valley State, 60-51, in the game for third place.

More details, including video highlights and interviews, will be posted later.