LAS VEGAS, Nev. — With just two major contributors returning from last year, University of Hawai'i basketball coach Riley Wallace knew it might take his team a while to get going this season.

It did. And that slow start, coupled with a weak finish, cost the Rainbow Warriors in their season-opening 73-59 loss to UNLV last night before a crowd of 9,284 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Rebels jumped to a 23-4 lead in the first eight minutes of the game, as UH committed eight of its 19 turnovers during that stretch and shot just 2 for 7.

However, after taking a 38-27 deficit into the locker room at halftime, the Warriors, led by the 3-point shooting of Matt Gibson, stormed back with a 21-8 run to start the second half. Gibson, who led Hawai'i with 20 points after having just four at halftime, hit all four of his 3s during the run, and gave UH a 48-46 lead with 11:22 to play.

"It just took us too long to get into our stuff," senior guard Matt Lojeski said. "Once we finally settled down and got into it, we played some good basketball."

But the Warriors' offensive inconsistency returned late in the game, and they were limited to nine points over the final nine minutes as UNLV regained control.

"There were a couple critical moments when our shooters were open and they got a hand on some passes, broke up some fastbreaks and didn't let us get those easy buckets that would have given us some momentum going into those last five minutes," Lojeski said.

Despite the outcome, Wallace said he was pleased with his team's effort after facing such a big early deficit.

"We were actually getting what we wanted for about 25 minutes in the middle of the game," Wallace said. "But it's how you start and how you finish, usually, and (UNLV) started really well and they finished well. And that wins ballgames for you, especially at home."

UH, which was opening a season on the road for the first time since 1993, seemed to have a significant height advantage coming into the game, with no starter under 6 feet 5. But the Rebels' defense, led by center Joel Anthony's eight rebounds and eight blocks, controlled the inside for much of the game.

UNLV also applied great pressure on UH's guards, holding Lojeski and Bobby Nash to a combined 4-for-23 shooting night.

"They were red-hot, and we were not, and the reason we weren't is because they were putting so much pressure on us and they got out on our shooters," Wallace said. "We knew that was going to be a problem. ... We felt that if we could weather that early storm, we'd be in the ballgame. But it took too much to catch up."

Lojeski, one of two returning starters for the Warriors — along with Ahmet Gueye, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds last night —said his poor shooting was primarily a result of UNLV's defense.

"They get all the credit," said Lojeski, who shot 3 for 13 and was held to nine points.

"They did a real good job taking us out of our stuff, applying a lot of pressure," Lojeski added. "It's something you can't really simulate in practice."

Lojeski said he was encouraged by the way the Warriors battled back from their poor start.

"We're never going to quit on each other," he said. "We're going to scrap and fight until the end. We don't have any so-called superstars on this team, so all of our wins are going to come from playing hard and working together."

UNLV had four players score in double figures, led by guard Wink Adams' 16 points. Joe Darger scored 13, hitting four 3-pointers, Kevin Kruger, son of Rebels coach Lon Kruger, had 12, and Anthony contributed 10.

The Warriors will get another shot at the Rebels on Dec. 5 in Honolulu, and Wallace said things will be different.

"It's a little different when you fly (to Hawai'i) than it is (on the Mainland)," he said. "We've got distractions, too. Our guys traveled well, though. ... They were all ready to play. There are no excuses."

WASHINGTON STATE 71, ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM 60

Junior Derrick Low scored a career-high 28 points, leading the Cougars over the Blazers in the opening game of the three-day, six-game round robin John Thompson Foundation Classic in Milwaukee. Low, an 'Iolani Schools alum, made 10 of 16 shots from from the floor.

NO. 24 NEVADA 85, ALASKA-ANCHORAGE 62

Nick Fazekas had 29 points and 10 rebounds and the host Wolf Pack used a 17-0 run early in the second half in its season-opening victory over Division II Alaska-Anchorage in Reno.

UC SANTA BARBARA 75, SAN JOSE STATE 67

Alex Harris scored 25 points and the host Gauchos rallied from a 60-55 deficit with an 11-2 run and never looked back in beating the Spartans at Santa Barbara, Calif.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE 91, IDAHO 76

Brett Winkelman scored 32 points and the Bison used a 23-8 run to open up a 78-60 lead midway through the second half in routing the Vandals at Moscow, Idaho.

NORTHWESTERN STATE 88, UTAH STATE 71

Jermaine Spencer and Colby Bargeman each scored 14 points and the two-time defending Southland Conference champion Demons beat the Aggies at Natchitoches, La.

NO. 1 FLORIDA 79, SAMFORD 54

Joakim Noah scored 11 points, tied a career high with 15 rebounds and added six assists and four blocks as the defending national champion and host Gators rolled past the Bulldogs in the season opener for both at Gainesville, Fla.

NO. 7 OHIO STATE 107, VMI 69

Daequan Cook scored 22 points, Jamar Butler added 18 and Ivan Harris 17 as the Buckeyes, who have one starter back (Butler) from last year's team that went 26-6 and won the Big Ten title, routed the Keydetts in the season opener for both at Columbus, Ohio.

NO. 15 BOSTON COLLEGE 86, NEW HAMPSHIRE 47

Freshman Shamari Spears scored 23 points in his first college game and Jared Dudley added 19 points and 11 rebounds to propel the Eagles past the Wildcats in Boston.

NO. 18 CONNECTICUT 53, QUINNIPIAC 46

Jerome Dyson, one of eight Connecticut freshmen, led the Huskies with 16 points, 12 of them in the first half, and Jeff Adrien added 14 points and 16 rebounds in a victory over the Bobcats at Storrs, Conn.

NO. 20 SYRACUSE 83, ST. FRANCIS, N.Y. 51

Demetris Nichols scored 15 points, and Darryl Watkins had 11 points and five blocks as the Orange pounded the Terriers in the Black Coaches Association Invitational at Syracuse, N.Y.

NO. 25 TENNESSEE 83, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 52

JaJuan Smith scored 16 points, freshman reserve Josh Tabb added 13, and the host Volunteers opened up a 22-point lead early in the second half to cruise past the Raiders at Knoxville, Tenn.