The University of Hawaii men’s basketball team is hopeful its lapses have elapsed.

Entering tonight’s nationally televised game against Cal State Fullerton, the Rainbow Warriors have lost three in a row, with each setback traced to lulls.

“We’re not as far off as you think,” said UH coach Eran Ganot, whose ’Bows are 11-8 overall and 6-3 in the Big West. “We’ve had three close losses, three battles that did not come our way. But I know we won’t get over the hump unless we fix our recurring mistakes.”

Against league leader Long Beach State on Thursday, the ’Bows committed 11 turnovers and failed to finish plays at the rim in the first half. “The second half, it was our lack of defense and our inability to execute down the stretch,” Ganot said. “We had some key lapses at both ends, losing some guys for open 3s, not getting key rebounds. In league play, especially this time of year, it comes down to those kind of moments.”

Ganot said he encourages shooters to fire away when they have good looks. “You want to get good shots over the course of the game,” Ganot said. “And if you miss good shots, you’ve got to stay confident and aggressive. It’s basically play right and live with the results.”

Kamaka Hepa, a 6-foot-10 wing, missed his seven shots in the first half against the Beach, but went 3-for-5 after intermission and finished with nine points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Point guard JoVon McClanahan, who entered with a 3.2-to-1 ratio of assists to turnovers against Big West foes, committed four turnovers against three assists.

But McClanahan made a career-high four steals, including a leaping interception that preceded one of Noel Coleman’s four 3s, to lead the ’Bows’ second-half surge.

“We’re in games that matter,” Ganot said. “We’re living. You’re going to see the ups and downs. It’s just a matter of how we handle it. You handle success, you handle failure, then you go back to work to get better, to stay together. This (game against CSUF) is a great challenge, and a quick turnaround against a good team. We’re looking forward to the challenge and our guys responding.”

The Titans, who lost to Long Beach State on Tuesday, arrived in Honolulu on Thursday afternoon. Asked about the travel plan, CSUF coach Dedrique Taylor said, “I don’t know if it helps or hurts, quite frankly. We did a little bit of everything (in previous trips). “We’re just trying to find a level of success, a level of focus, and take advantage of who we are, and being that consistently. I don’t know if the answer is coming a day earlier (than the game) or come right after we played (on Tuesday).”

In his ninth season at CSUF, Taylor is enjoying his best start at 14-7 overall and 7-2 in the Big West. Two transfers — forward E.J. Anosike (Tennessee) and guard Damari Milstead (San Francisco) — have made easy transitions into leadership roles. Anosike leads the Big West in scoring (16.5 points per game) and is third in rebounding (8.1). Milstead is averaging 10.9 points and tops the league with 40 steals.

“I think the biggest thing is just the experience,” Taylor said. “They’re both fifth-year seniors, guys who have been through the war, so to speak, and understand what’s at stake. The best version of themselves is still in front of them. I think that’s what we’re seeing from the transfers, in particular, just in terms of their mindset, their experience.”

Vincent Lee, a 6-foot-8 forward, has produced 6.9 rebounds per contest. Against LBSU, nearly half the Titans’ points came from reserves.

“I think everybody is finding their rhythm,” Taylor said. “For the most part, we’ve got a lot of guys who can do a lot of things. Each individual is understanding what they do best, and trying to do that. Everybody is believing we have to play a certain way, and understanding what that way is, and executing it.”