Warriors looking to start wave of momentum
If the Hawai’i basketball team is going to start a wave of momentum heading into the holidays, it has to start against the Pepperdine Waves.
The Warriors will host the Waves in a non-conference game on Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. The last time the Warriors played a home game was on November 20; the next home game after this will be on December 22.
Hawai’i is 4-2 and coming off a 77-63 road loss at nationally-ranked UNLV. Pepperdine is 5-3 and comes to Honolulu off a 62-40 home victory over UC Riverside.
“They’re playing really good basketball right now,” said Hawai’i associate coach Benjy Taylor, who scouted the Waves. “They’re very experienced in the backcourt. They run a great half-court offense and they’re pretty solid defensively … we got our work cut out for us.”
The game is a rematch of last season, when the Waves defeated the Warriors, 73-67, at Malibu, California. However, only three combined starters return from that game – Hawai’i center Vander Joaquim and Pepperdine guards Caleb Willis and Jordan Baker.
“We’re better; I think they’re better,” Taylor said. “I think we’re different; I think they’re different.”
Pepperdine’s leading scorer is 6-foot-2 senior guard Lorne Jackson, who redshirted last season with a knee injury. He is averaging 16.3 points per game, including a 28-point outing in a victory over UC Irvine last month.
“He’s a high-volume shooter, gets a lot of shots up,” Taylor said. “You can never relax against him.”
If anything, the Warriors will have a distinct size advantage in the post. Hawai’i usually starts 6-6 Hauns Brereton and 6-8 Christian Standhardinger at forwards, and 6-10 Joaquim at center. The Waves will counter with 6-4 Jordan Baker, 6-6 Stacy Davis and 6-7 Jett Raines. Davis and Raines are freshmen.
“We’ll have to try and take advantage of that, but they’re good players,” Taylor said. “Our bigs will have to play well to beat their bigs inside.”
Joaquim, who is averaging 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, has missed practice time this week due to a lingering knee injury, but he is expected to be ready. He is one of four Warriors averaging double-figure points. The others are Standhardinger (17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds), junior guard Brandon Spearman (13.7 points), and Brereton (11.5 points, 6.3 rebounds).
Senior point guard Jace Tavita is contributing 3.2 points and 7.0 assists; freshman forward Isaac Fotu is averaging 7.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
The Warriors and Waves have played one common opponent so far this season. Hawaii defeated Houston Baptist, 73-60, at home on November 12; Pepperdine won at Houston Baptist, 57-53 in overtime, on November 20.
Pepperdine has also played three other Big West Conference teams this season. The Waves beat UC Riverside and UC Irvine at home, but lost at Cal State Northridge. Hawai’i will play each of those teams later this season during Big West play.
GAME INFORMATION
When: Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, 7:00 p.m. HT
Where: Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) – Honolulu, HI
Television: Live statewide on OCSports – Channels 16 (SD) and 1016 (HD).
Streaming Video: Live video streaming is available on ocsports.tv.
Radio: ESPN 1420 AM will carry the game live. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KHLO in Hilo, KKON in Kona, and KTOH on Kaua’i.
Audio Webcast: Live audio streaming on espn1420am.com
Live Stats: Live in-game stats are available at HawaiiAthletics.com
Ticket Information: $26 (lower); $18 (upper-adult); $16 (upper-sr. citizen); $5 (upper-youth, ages 4-HS); UH Manoa students free with validated ID. Parking $6.
Promotions: Hawaiian Airlines is the game sponsor and will distribute 300 calendars at Gate A. At halftime, Hawaiian Airlines will award 60,000 Hawaiian Miles and toss t-shirts and mini-volleyballs into the stands. UH Students can sign up to participate in the Hawaiian Airlines Shooters Challenge for their chance to win 80,000 Hawaiian Miles. The student theme is “Nerd Night” as the best geek chic wins a prize. Special $1 ticket rate for the morning sessions of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic on December 22 or 23 with the purchase of a UH-Pepperdine ticket.
Autograph session: The Hawai’i players will be signing autographs on the concourse level approximately 15 minutes after the game.
It should be a fun game. Both teams are improved and different from a year ago. Yet, I like this team’s chances. Hoping for the dub.
UH Warriors, play well, hard , smart , together, have fun, and get the W. Have to protect your home court.
Go Rainbow Warriors!!
I look forward to seeing a good hard fought game tonite. As Coach Taylor says the big guys must come through with a solid game. Would be nice to see a lot of students fill up the seats tonite.
GO WARRIORS!!!
for all the fans – now you have to act the mighty sixth Player
lift guys to fly around court to be a phenomenon like the rainbow is
Warriors come out and show everyone who’s boss on that court
fight for your home let all Hawaiians and all the fans be proud of you
Do not forget that fans around the world believe in you
GO WARRIORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
c’mon Oz, Man, Mike ~ your future-stars:
you “promoted” your fellow studens to show-up.. your Mum/Mom is getting impatient (me too)!
let’s play for’em plenty!
As they say, time to shut up and put up. No sense talking anymore, just do it. No mercy.
GO WARRIORS!!!!!
Vander, Davis, Isaac and Christian beware, Pepperdine has a 7 foot 300 pound space eater , watch out you don’t foul him too much..and get into foul trouble..one luxury UH has, and it is wishful thinking(since Hauns can’t hit the side of a mountain, shooting wise)if AV would be
activated, Aaron Valdes would be athletic, long, weak side help block shots, steals, can run on wings and delayed breaks, he can finish, has a mid range jumper, and is a hi motor kid, unselfish, and plays as a team player, and wants to win, young guy good kid!!
I know, I know, Gib wants to RS him this year, and probably for the best, but challenge to Hauns, if you disappear on us Hauns, like you did at times last year..maybe Gib, takes chance and activates Airon, at least , with Aaron, Spearman, and Gee Jefferson, and Isaac, Christian, Vander and Davis, there could be some nice flushes!!
Go Warriors !
Wave Aloha No to Pepperdine!
Handle Classwork & Finals….
Then Total Focus on Basketball
TWO Challenging Games Tonight & Next Week Molokaʻi and Chaminade
Right Now WatchingTEXAS Beating UCLA by Six on ESPN …
The Same Texas that Chaminade Ambushed on The Neighbor Islands (Maui)…
THIS IS About the Place where Good to Great Hawaiʻi Teams start Cranking It Up…
This is The Lead In to “The Second Season”
Two Weeks to Big Time Basketball VS Miami, Maybe Ranked Arizona, and IF Team does well enough, maybe Ranked San Diego State… TIME to Step Up Every Oneʻs Game …
Then BIG WEST .. with a Need for A Fast Start …
and a Better Finish…
Finally did something proactive for all of us UH MBB fans, chatted with Oceanic Time Warner…see if they were going to do live tv feed from Molokai on Dec 15 2012 UH vs Chaminade basketball game from “the barn”…All of us can contact UH athletics, and let them know we would like to see game, tech and customer rep, said they will talk to their bosses about possibly having live on HD TV from the Friendly Island, that island of Molokai has been making some global historical news lately!!
Rep said, she would speak to higher ups , who would see if UH would pay and help get contract for that game.
Also, fellow fans, I forgot, OC16 is separate from UH OC sports, they with Dave Vinton could do it..also, KHON with Rob Demello and Kanoa , and KITV with Jamaih Webster or KGMB with Mike Cherry or Chris Tanaka! Also PAC West Commishioner Bob Houge could get involved to maybe have a local media outlet out of the BARN do live stream or OCE roadrunner doing live stream..
First things first, UH gotta beat Pepperdine, then these entities hopefully with our letting them know will broacast game, Oceanic, KITV, KHON, KGMB, KFVE, or RR stream or PAC west stream…would be good for teams UH and Chaminade, good for Molokai exposure and fans, and good for tourisim, attracting ones from Honolulu and other islands to go to the Friendliest island in state, Molokai, home of Brandyn and Jarin Akana, Kalei Adolpho, and Melveen Leed and Raiatea Helm!!
Go Warriors, get that TV contract or stream, beat Peppedine first and see if we can see you guys playing BB at THE BARN on Molokai