Warriors move on to Pacific
STOCKTON, Calif. – The Hawai’i basketball team literally put UC Davis behind it on Friday, packing up and getting on a bus to relocate to Stockton, where it began preparations for its next road game.
“I think you just learn from your mistakes,” head coach Gib Arnold said of the 24-point loss at UC Davis on Thursday. “It’s part of this game. Last time I checked, there are no undefeated teams left. Everybody’s got to learn how to bounce back. This team has done it all year.”
The Warriors will have to bounce back again on Saturday if they want to regain the second-place spot in the Big West Conference.
Hawai’i will play a conference road game at Pacific in what amounts to a game for second place. The Warriors are 15-10 overall and 9-5 in the Big West; the Tigers are 14-10 and 8-4.
The game is schedule to start at 5 p.m. (Hawai’i time) in the Alex G. Spanos Center on the UOP campus.
“We just have to bounce back and make sure we do all the tough things and all the things that matter – getting on the ground and creating chaos and being aggressive defensively,” senior wing Hauns Brereton said. “All that stuff that doesn’t show up in the stat sheet, you gotta do it.”
The Warriors will have to be at their best against a Pacific team that is 6-0 at home against Big West teams this season. The Tigers have the most balanced offense in the conference, with only one player averaging double-figure points – senior point guard Lorenzo McCloud at 11.1 points per game.
“I still think McCloud is the ‘head of the snake’ as we like to call it,” Arnold said. “He’s the guy that we have to get to because he can hurt you. But as far as a leading scorer … it’s different every night for them.”
Thursday was a perfect example. Travis Fulton, a 6-foot-6 senior forward, led the Tigers with 16 points in a 66-59 home win over Cal State Northridge. The game before that, Fulton did not score a single point.
“Anybody in their starting five and their first three subs can get 15 to 20 points,” associate coach Benjy Taylor said of the Tigers. “Who ever gets hot for them, they keep going to him.”
After McCloud, the second-leading average on the team belongs to 6-7 reserve forward Ross Rivera at 8.7 points per game. Fulton and guard Sama Taku are next at 8.5 points per game each.
“We have to understand everybody’s tendencies because their points are pretty spread out,” Brereton said. “Any different night, a person might go off and we just have to be ready for that.”
The Warriors already own a victory over the Tigers – a 60-52 win on January 17 in Honolulu.
Senior center Vander Joaquim had 16 points and nine rebounds in that victory, and he will need to return to similar form for the Warriors to be successful. Joaquim and the other Hawai’i big men had a frustrating night at UC Davis on Saturday, as he, Christian Standhardinger and Isaac Fotu combined for 16 points and 11 rebounds.
“We had a tough night, we had an off night,” Arnold said. “We didn’t do some things we usually do … (we have to) re-focus, re-energize yourself and just give a greater effort on Saturday.”
Standhardinger is still one of only three players in the Big West averaging at least 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in conference play. He is at 16.1 points and 8.2 rebounds (UC Santa Barbara’s Alan Williams is at 18.2 and 10.0, and Cal State Northridge’s Stephen Maxwell is at 17.4 and 9.2)).
Joaquim is averaging 13.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, and three other Warriors are averaging at least 9.0 points per game – Brandon Spearman (9.8), Fotu (9.6) and Brereton (9.0). Since being re-inserted into the starting lineup on January 26, Brereton is averaging 14.8 points per game over six games.
The Warriors got to practice in the Spanos Center on Friday evening, and Arnold said he was pleased with the effort displayed during the 90-minute workout after the disappointing loss the night before.
Perhaps as expected, Arnold and his coaching staff got on the Warriors about the Thursday performance, but they lightened the mood after practice by challenging the players to a half-court shooting contest. The players won, 2-1, with Garrett Jefferson and Standhardinger each hitting one, while Brandyn Akana was the only coach to knock one in.
GAME INFORMATION: Hawai’i (15-10, 9-5 Big West) at Pacific (14-10, 8-4 Big West)
When: Saturday, Feb. 16, 5:00 p.m. (Hawai’i time)
Where: Spanos Center (6,150) – Stockton, Calif.
Television: None.
Streaming Video: Live video streaming is available on BigWest.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 PacificTigers.com
Aloha, Ozi Mum:
Congrats for your son Ozi, who has secured a 2nd personal season double digit high of 10pts in just 6min of PT last night:
>> Took 6 shots made 5 (83%),
>> 10p in 6min (i.e. 1.67pts per min),
>> ftm, 2-2 (100%),
>> 3fgm, 2-3 (67%),
>> fgm, 1-1 (100%).
Tomorrow night he will be making his presence felt by the Tigers again, helping our TEAM to sweep them in regular season and, recapture our 2nd Place, readying for 1st place even position in BWC.
Ozi is our “Tiger Tamer” for that now, he can easily scores 20+pts against them, if given the PT:
>> On last Jan 17, he set his personal season high of 13pts.
>> ftm, 8-9 (89%),
>> 3fgm 1-2 (50%),
>> fgm 2-9 (22%).
Given that TEAM training to be Stronger, Bigger, & Faster;
His talents in ball-handling, high-scoring skill, higher field-vision on most players..
Ozi is on track to be the “Best Point-forward” the Warriors ever had, sooner than later.
“Pupulahi I Holomua” indeed!
KNOCK the Stripes Off Of The Tigers …
Guys, kind of late in season to try anything different, starters, subs, defenses, offenses.
One thing can control, and I agree with coach Gib, YOUR EFFORT for 40 minutes, that encompasses all of the facets to win ball game.
You guys have nothing to fear. Play to win, play to win a championship. Play smart, and stay united, this is the make or break point of your season, keep morale high, at least 5000 hard core fans at the SSC and another 5000 who listen on radio, and another possibly 25000 who watch via Oceanic or bigwest.tv stream, want you guys to win, so in humble estimate, at least 45000 to 50000 in Hawaii and around the globe follows your success. I am sure the count is more when you guys win. Get that win against Pacific, and come home to sweep the 2 BWC games , and the 1 ESPN bracket buster, then finish with a W at Northridge before tourney.
However as Gib would tell you, one game at a time, one possession at a time, play strong with the ball, and BIGS, play like you are BIG. and smalls, go halls to the walls, go for the victory. It is going to be either very sad after 700pm HST in Honolulu and around the globe, or very joyous, if you get the victory against the Pacific Tigers. If I could take an educated guess on outcome: I would say, your effort will be tremendous, defense much improved, you will take care of the ball, and have chance to have a great win in Stockton, hope I am right!
Rebound on O and D glass, have more assists to turnovers, shoot better than 50 % from field, 75% or better from FT line, 40% from 3 line. Hold Pacific, to 32% from 3 line, 39 % from field, take away ball from them more, create 15 to 16 tunrovers , turn into 20 to 21 points. Close out game. NO FEAR, ATTITUDE, ENERGY AND EFFORT., YOU GUYS WILL WIN GAME, GO GET EM WARRIORS!!
Thanks for the nice words about my son
Can you even imagine how difficult decision for parents to send their son so far from home.
Follow lectures in a foreign language is very difficult, sometimes when he’s tired, even chatting with the boys requires great concentration
I follow all related to the team and I read a lot about Hawaii their culture and language, it is really a beautiful country and wonderful people with very interesting language
I enjoy the victories and defeats accept as inevitable in sport
I think we lost the game because they are a very good scouting our team and decided to stop Standhardinger
In my opinion for the Standhardinger was not a bad night, but they captured him so much that he could not really do anything
I wish you good luck guys, just play hard, play without fear
GO WARRIORS!!!!! CHAMPIONS GO!!!!!!
Ozi Mum = cute.
Pacific favored by 9. More than I thought. Tigers are undefeated at home, 6-0 in the Big West. Now is a good time for our Warriors to take them down. This is for second place in the conference. To me, it’s a must game. Good luck men, including the coaches.
Ozi Mum, we have great respect for Ozi’s courage and determination. Leaving home and traveling to such a distant, foreign place to get an education and play basketball is a difficult challenge that few young people would embrace. He will have happy times and bad times. But he is on his way to becoming a true citizen of the world, that special kind of person who crosses geographic and cultural barriers and adapts to change and experiences a rich and rewarding life. Ozi and his other teammates from abroad have good futures ahead of them.
Pound the glass and win the 50-50 balls. UH can control those items. Do those two things and UH will win.
HawaiiMongoose, Eagle, Clyde and other contributors to this forum. Much Mahalo and thanks to your very kind and thoughtful comments and encouragment to Ozi Mum, Aussie Mum and Tonganator, Memphis, Chicago side families. With UH MBB team facing a very challenging game against Pacific Tigers. Ozi Mum and Aussie Mum, are very sweet and loving moms for sure! We appreciate you allowing your fine young sons and family memeber to come a long, long way from home to pursue a dream to play U.S.A. NCAA DI Men’s Basketball. You sure are fine people, and the good hearted, and great part of the UH MBB Ohana(family) really have a special Aloha for all of you! Mahalo Plenty(Thank you very much).
Michael Harper, Manroop Clair, Ozren Pavlovic, Vander Joaquim, Davis Rozitis, Isaac Fotu,Christian Standhardinger, are really treasured by the TRUE MBB Fan Ohana! They are great students, citizens and just good guys! Gib and staff, could not be happier with their fine Character. Gib went from recruiting THE ATHLETE to THE STUDENT-HIGH Character-ATHLETE, and all of yous sons represent that facet wonderfully. Know that these boys, are greatly loved by their fellow students and fans from across the globe.
Apologize, sometimes I remind our young family member, playhoopsa, to value, and make positive , kind statements about all players, since they and their families are making huge sacrifices. HIs statements and posts reflect our families sentiments. We want the team and young students to have success this year and till they get their degrees. Playhoopsa understands.
So, in behalf of UHF, to Ozi and Aussie Mum’s and all family members of Warrior MBB team, we are at a very interesting junction of the season, the Pacific game , and victory will be fantastic. Still if team falls short, remember UH still has 3 more BWC games, 1 Bracket Buster game at SSC and a probable first round game in BWC tourney, so at minimum, even if UH falls short tonite, they have another possible 5 games to get to 19 or 20 wins, and possible run to win the BWC tourney and go to the NCAA’s. If UH has 18 or 19 games, they have potential to go to CIT or other post season tourneys, reason, Michael Harper, Ozi, Vander, Isaac, Davis, Manroop and their cherished families!
Ozi mum you try so hard, to translate to english, you must be in education!. Fantastic job, and we can understand every emotion and feeling you want to express. You must have played Basketball in Croatia, or have been very close to the game. Your anaysis of game, and game strategies are simple yet top notch(very good)
Take care: Ozi Mum and Aussie Mum=Two Fantastic mothers and friends for Ozi and Michael as well as all the other players and their parents relatives and friends. This is such a great group of young men that Gib has assembled. Will pay off. Hopefully, they will be fighting for a bid to NCAA tourney in a few weeks!!
Wow! Long Beach State beat Riverside by 40 points. 75-35. UH needs this game badly, better to be 16-10 rather than 15-11. If we lose we will possibly drop to 5th place in the standings. Win and we’re in sole place of second. This one game is HUGE. Go get em guys! Energy and passion. Silence the crowd. Bombs away! UH softball already beat 7th ranked Oregon in Las Vegas. Make it a great day for UH sports. Good luck!
O.K. ʻBows!
Step Up Jace, Jefferson, Jawato, Ozi & ʻRoop
Cover for Brandon Spearman & Step Up even More!
Dominate Vander, Davis, Christian, Hauns, Isaac!
Half-Time 36 -33 Hawaiʻi
NOW Play Even Better
And WIN the Second Half !
Go ʻBows!
WIN Warriors!
(Shut Down Fulton
Shut ʻEm ALL Down !
Block ʻEm Even More
Steal Even More!
BOARD Even Better !)
WHEN This Team Matures (This Year? Or Next?)
THEY Will Learn to Regularly Play Well in BOTH Halves
Maybe even play better when someone goes down, etc.
Get Healthy… RE-Charge and
WIN The NEXT FOUR & More, ʻBows…