GAME NOTES: The Maui Invitational carries on this Friday, as the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors mix it up with the Pittsburgh Panthers to War Memorial Gym.

Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon is a former assistant with Hawaii, serving a pair of stints in the 1990s, so the trip out the island will not be a complete surprise for him or his players. The Panthers are off to a 2-0 start to the 2014-15 campaign, defeating both Niagara and Samford at home.

The Rainbow Warriors are off to a 3-1 start, thanks in large part to the Rainbow Classic to kick off the 2014-15 campaign. Two nights ago, the team hosted Hawaii-Hilo at home in the Stan Sheriff Center and whipped up on the visitors by a score of 89-71.

Even though the Panthers have a more storied basketball history, it is Hawaii that leads the all-time series by a 2-1 margin.

In the most recent outing against Samford at the Petersen Events Center last weekend, the Panthers used an 18-3 run before halftime to give themselves some breathing room, en route to the seven-point victory. The Bulldogs made things interesting in the final minute of the second half though, trailing by just three before the hosts closed on a 4-0 run.

Converting all but three of his 13 field goal tries, Michael Young finished with a team-best 20 points, followed by Jamel Artis with 12 points as he connected on both of his 3-point attempts. The Panthers hit a combined 51.1 percent from the field, compared to a mere 32.2 percent for Samford.

After two games, the top offensive threats for the Panthers are Young and Artis with 13.5 and 13.0 ppg, respectively. The former is also the top rebounder with six boards per contest. As a group, the Panthers are shooting an impressive 51.9 percent from the field, compared to a paltry 29.0 percent for the competition.

Against a local competitor in Hawaii-Hilo, the Rainbow Warriors forced 25 turnovers and held the visitors to a mere 3-of-15 shooting behind the 3-point line during their 18-point victory earlier this week. Leading the entire way, Hawaii was paced by Aaron Valdes who dropped in 31 points, pulled down seven rebounds and made four steals. Garrett Nevels pitched in with 14 points and six boards, but the star of the contest was Roderick Bobbitt who recorded a triple-double consisting of 12 points, 10 assists and 10 steals.

Reserves Isaac Fleming and Quincy Smith also got in on the act with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

The triple-double by Bobbitt was the first for the program since 1975 and his steals total broke a 21-year old record. Bobbitt is one of three players scoring in double figures at the moment with his 11.3 ppg, and he also leads the program with 25 assists and 16 steals through four outings.

History indicates that the Panthers are on another level when it comes to basketball, but so far this season the team has not been all that impressive. If Bobbitt and his teammates are able to get on a roll tonight, Pittsburgh might be surprised.