HONOLULU — Ritorya Tamilo stretched, reached, and on her third attempt, threw down a rim-grazer. The freshman from New Zealand could barely take another step before she was immediately lost in a swarm of bodies and shouts.
The 6-foot-4 Hawaii women’s basketball center’s dunk on a Stan Sheriff Center basket was the highlight of Saturday afternoon’s Rainbow Madness event to showcase both the Rainbow Warrior and Rainbow Wahine teams ahead of the 2024-25 season.
[Note: See below for more photos of the Rainbow Madness and Tipoff Events this week.]
“This was actually big for her to do it in front of a crowd,” UH women’s coach Laura Beeman said. “I think she’s only done it in front of some of her teammates. For her to try it with the crowd and actually finally get the ball rolled over — by the time we get some more strength and conditioning with her and some confidence, I think she’ll be throwing it down pretty regular and it’d be great to see her do it in a game.”
It is believed to have been the first women’s dunk in an event at the Sheriff since Brittney Griner threw one down for Baylor against Stanford on Nov. 17, 2012.
Following the teams’ mobbing of Tamilo, 6-foot-10 forward Akira Jacobs almost sheepishly slammed one with two hands for the UH men to cap the on-court festivities.
A gathering of a little more than a hundred took in lighthearted team introductions — more necessary for Eran Ganot’s UH men, who replaced more than half their roster in the offseason — a skills competition, 3-point shootout and keiki dunk contest.
UH first-year guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor, a native of Wahiawa, was an enthusiastic performer during introductions. The freshmen were made to do a lip-synch of Keyshia Cole’s “Love.”
“It’s nice to be known as the island boy out here and come back and represent all the kids from Hawaii and just to show them we can make it, we can go to the next level,” said Hunkin-Claytor, who played two years at Iolani and moved to the Bay Area to finish out high school at Salesian College Prep.
It was the last chance for fans to see both squads in their home venue before the regular season begins; the men and women have outsourced their preseason competitions to the Neighbor Islands.
There is a previously announced jaunt to Hawaii Island for exhibitions against Hawaii Hilo on Oct. 25 (men) and 27 (women), and a yet-to-be-formally announced trip to Maui for a women’s/men’s doubleheader against Chaminade at Kamehameha-Maui on Nov. 2.
Beeman and Chaminade men’s coach Eric Bovaird confirmed the Valley Isle contests to Spectrum News.
“I think that’s really important for the Neighbor Islands to experience our kids and the excitement,” Beeman said. “Then yeah, it gets very, very real, very fast.”
The senior-laden UH women, who were recently picked atop the Big West preseason poll for the third straight year, open the regular season Nov. 7 at Portland. They won’t appear at the SSC until Nov. 22 against Louisiana-Monroe.
The Rainbow Warriors, who were picked seventh, will return from Maui for the season-opening Outrigger Rainbow Classic starting Nov. 8 against NAIA Life Pacific.
Freshman wing AJ Economou won the 3-point shootout for the UH men and, in an upset, center Brooklyn Rewers outdueled sharpshooter MeiLani McBee for the women.
For Ganot’s Rainbow Warriors, it capped a busy few days with the annual Tipoff Event fundraiser dinner on Thursday and practices intermixed.
“It’s a great week, it’s a busy week,” Ganot said. “There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make it all happen. And then you feel like you’ll take a nap on Sunday, if you can. … Overall, it was very positive.”
Rainbow Warriors graduate manager Zoar Nedd organized it and gave on-court direction.
Beeman acknowledged the light turnout Saturday (admission was free) but said it was a good starting point to revive the “madness” events that were more popular in the 2000s and early 2010s.
“I think for a first time … in a long time, it was good to get both teams together,” she said. “Hopefully, the fans that were here have enjoyed it enough that we have something to build upon for the future.”
Ganot said he and his staff have been focused on “throwing guys into the fire” more than would be his custom after losing his top six scorers from 2023 to 2024. He acknowledged some of the team's newcomers who arrived just before the fall semester are behind the curve.
“We like where we’re at, we like where we’re headed,” Ganot said. “There’s been ups and downs, some of that’s the new faces, learning a new system, new styles, each other. So, I do think this could be one of the better teams we’ve had in terms of improving as the year goes along.”
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.