Rainbows are looking to stay hot

It’s exceedingly rare for the Hawaii men’s basketball team to talk about transfering road success back home, and not the opposite.

But that’s precisely the situation when the Rainbow Warriors host Big West leader Long Beach State today at the Stan Sheriff Center. Third-place UH won the past three of four straight road games and enters this week on an emotional high. Three straight on the mainland hadn’t been accomplished by the ‘Bows since the 2003-04 season.

A fourth straight overall win would represent a season best. UH is 4-1 in Big West games at the Sheriff.

"We just want to keep it going, man," junior guard Brandon Spearman said. "We told each other we’re going to play for us and play for the team. We’re just going to give it our all every night, man. No let-ups."

The Beach offers a challenge unlike the mid- to lower-tier teams UH defeated in the past two weeks. The two-time defending Big West champions, battle-tested against a slew of tough nonconference opponents, turned that experience to good use. The 49ers arrive on an eight-game winning streak, which included a 76-72 defeat of UH at The Pyramid on Jan. 12.

Seventeen turnovers, including a few in the game’s final moments, cost UH a chance to be the first team in two seasons to best The Beach at home. Sophomore point guard Mike Caffey had 18 points and the game-winning runner with two seconds left in that one.

Both teams expect a well-played rematch.

"I think it’s going to be an unbelievable battle," UH coach Gib Arnold said. "I think it’s going to go for 40 minutes, right down to the wire."

"We agree, this is a big game for us," sixth-year Long Beach State coach Dan Monson said. "We know this is probably the toughest road venue in our league. If we lose this game, there will be no lead in the league (over Pacific). It’ll put Hawaii and Irvine right in the middle of it."

Improved ball control (11.3 turnovers per game in the three wins) and an upperclassman-dominated starting lineup allowed Hawaii to turn a corner on the road.

"It’s going to come down to the team that doesn’t turn the ball over," Arnold said. "The team that’s able to create easy baskets off of turnovers. You’ve got two pretty good defensive teams, especially in the halfcourt. The team that’s able to get some easy run-outs and some easy looks caused by defense will probably win the game."

UH junior forward Christian Standhardinger is the reigning Big West Player of the Week. He averaged 24 points and 11.3 rebounds in the three road wins. Getting him and senior center Vander Joaquim (13.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg) to play well at the same time could be key. Joaquim’s had some slow starts lately, and played markedly better in second halves.

"When I play aggressive sometimes in the first half, sometimes I get in foul trouble," Joaquim said. "I’ll just try to stay aggressive. It depends how the game is going, the flow of the game."

UH has been outrebounded in three of its past four games, but believes it can target The Beach, a strong man-to-man team that hunts for blocked shots, on the inside. The ‘Bows won the battle of the backboards 37-31 last time.

Hawaii could also receive an intangible boost. The team has made a strong push for student support this season, and this week was no exception. UH coaches and players tie-dyed clothing on campus with students on Monday to promote Thursday’s theme, "’60s Hippie Night."

Part of The Beach’s recent success was Division I transfers Tony Freeland (DePaul) and Keala King (Arizona State) settling into starting roles with their new team. Long Beach State is 8-0 with them in the first lineup.

The 49ers are coming off a 50-48 win vs. Cal Poly. Forward James Ennis (17.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) had the game-winning free throws with six seconds left. Long Beach’s past three opponents have been held under 60 points.

"The big picture for us is trying to get consistent enough to win three games in the Honda Center (at the Big West tournament)," Monson said. "That’s why we’re excited for this game. For us to come out of here (winners), we’re going to have to play better. Hawaii’s going to bring that out of us, and we’ll see how we do."

Joaquim needs four points to pass Anthony Carter and 16 to leapfrog Tom Henderson for No. 12 and No. 11 on the UH career scoring list.