An energetic crowd of 5,085 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the 'Bows improve to 2-0, and the Chanticleers drop to 0-4.

Senior forward Jeff Blackett was the main hero of the comeback, scoring 20 of his career-high 22 points in the second half, including the go-ahead points with 2:49 remaining.

"In this place, once you get going, the crowd keeps you going," Blackett said. "That was huge."

It is believed to be Hawai'i's greatest comeback in recent memory. In a 2002 game against Butler, the 'Bows erased a 21-point deficit.

Hawai'i guard Matt Gibson drives to the basket against Coastal Carolina center Matthijs Reinders in the first half. Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

"That shows this team has huge heart," Sensley said. "We were down 20-something points. In (NCAA) Division I, it's rare for a team to come back from 20 points behind and win by what? Seven points."

Sensley contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Nash hit four 3-pointers during the second-half rally, and scored all 12 of his points after intermission.

Botez had 11 points, five rebounds and three key blocked shots. Gibson added seven points, four assists and five steals.

Gibson may have been the key addition in the second half. He did not start the game, but was inserted as the point guard to start the second half.

"We were lethargic in that first half," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "I wasn't about to break it down and become disorganized again."

The Chanticleers relied on a trapping zone defense that forced 11 Hawai'i turnovers in the first half. CCU raced to a 14-6 lead to open the game, and increased it to 37-23 by halftime.

Wallace said he would "go big" in the second half, using a lineup that ranged from the 6-5 Gibson to 7-foot Botez. Before the start of the second half, the five players formed their own huddle away from the rest of the team.

"We said we weren't going to lose this game," Blackett said. "That first half, that was not us."

Still, CCU was able to increase its lead to 54-32 with 14:18 behind the long-distance shooting of Jack Leasure.

The 'Bows never panicked, because as Nash put it: "We had each other's back."

Sure enough, Hawai'i responded with a stunning 19-2 run over the next four minutes to cut the CCU lead to 56-51 with 8:32 remaining. Nash sparked the surge with three 3-pointers.

"It was that turkey dinner," he said. "Once you hit that first one, it kind of takes the lid off the basket and you just come to a time where you just shoot it and don't think about it."

That's what Blackett did, as he then took over the game, draining mid-range jump shots from all over the court.

"I thought we contested every shot; he just made some unbelievable shots," CCU head coach Pete Strickland said. "Nobody can shoot it better than that."

Blackett connected on 8-of-9 field goals in the second half. However, his most significant points may have been the two free throws that put UH ahead, 64-63 with 2:49 remaining. The 'Bows would not lose the lead the rest of the way.

Leasure led CCU with 22 points, including six 3-pointers. Pele Paelay added 21 points and six assists, and was the only CCU player to shoot free throws (6 of 8). In contrast, the 'Bows were 13 of 21 on free throws.

"That was a little puzzling," Strickland said. "This would be a bad night for me to speak on behalf of Hawaiian hospitality."

Hawai'i will play at home again on Monday when it hosts Southern Illinois.