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Warriors seek revenge on Senior Night

The Hawai’i basketball team has been looking forward to Saturday’s game against Cal Poly for a while now. It being Senior Night is only part of the reason.

The Warriors will host the Mustangs in a crucial Big West Conference game on Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. It will be the final regular-season home game, and fans are being encouraged to wear white shirts for a “White-Out” to honor seniors Hauns Brereton, Jace Tavita and Vander Joaquim.

Hawai’i is 17-11 overall and in third place in the Big West at 10-6. Cal Poly is 14-12 overall and tied for fourth in the conference at 9-6.

Back on January 24, the Mustangs defeated the Warriors, 88-59, at San Luis Obispo, Calif. It was the Warriors’ worst loss of this season, and they have been aiming at payback ever since.

“Personally, there’s no other team I’d rather play on Senior Night because of what happened over there,” Tavita said. “We’re going to be ready. We’re definitely going to be ready.”

SeniorShot

In the aftermath of that loss at Cal Poly, Hawai’i head coach Gib Arnold had a private meeting with the three seniors, and asked them to take more of a leadership role. The Warriors have won seven of nine games since that meeting, and Brereton, Tavita and Joaquim have, indeed, been the leaders of the late-season surge.

“It’s going to be special, but it’s going to be a battle,” Joaquim said of the Senior Night clash with the Mustangs.

Cal Poly is also on a roll, having won five of its last six games, including an 81-61 road romp at Cal State Northridge on Saturday. The Mustangs shot an astounding 80 percent (12 for 15) from 3-point range in the win, with Dylan Royer connecting on 7 of 8.

Cal Poly’s top player is Chris Eversley, a 6-foot-7 junior forward who is averaging 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

“He scores a variety of ways – he’s a good enough 3-point shooter where you have to guard him,” Hawai’i associate coach Benjy Taylor said. “He’s strong, he can post up, he can drive you, gets tip-ins, scores in transition. He’s a good player.”

Royer, a 6-1 senior, is averaging 10.4 points per game and ranks among the Big West leaders for 3-pointers made (71) and 3-point percentage (.418).

The Warriors are especially concerned about rebounding. Hawai’i is ranked first in the Big West in rebounding margin at an average of plus-six per game, but had its worst rebounding game of the season at Cal Poly. The Mustangs out-rebounded the Warriors, 39-21, in the first meeting.

“We just didn’t keep them off the glass,” Taylor said.

Joaquim had one of the worst games of his career in the loss at Cal Poly, as he finished with two points and one rebound in just 12 minutes.

“Everybody has to come to play,” Taylor said. “They were physical against us and we just didn’t play well.”

Joaquim is averaging 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, and leads the team with 10 double-doubles.

Junior forward Christian Standhardinger continues to lead the Warriors in both scoring (15.9) and rebounding (8.1). Freshman forward Isaac Fotu is contributing 9.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

Brereton is averaging 9.4 points per game, including 14.7 per game over the last seven games. Tavita is coming off a career-high 17 points in a 70-66 home win over UC Santa Barbara, and he leads the Big West in assists with 5.6 per game.

— —- —- — —

Saturday’s game is part of a doubleheader with the UH women’s basketball team. The Rainbow Wahine will host Cal State Northridge at 5 p.m.

The men’s game will start at approximately 7:30 p.m., or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the women’s game. Fans who have tickets for the men’s game will be allowed to enter early to watch the women’s game.

GAME INFORMATION: Hawai’i (17-11, 10-6 Big West) vs. Cal Poly (14-12, 9-6 Big West)
When: Saturday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.
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. Fans with a men’s ticket will be admitted free to the preceding women’s basketball game. Special upper level ticket rates will be also be available on game day from two hours prior to the start of the women’s basketball game until halftime of the women’s game.
Promotions: Saturday will be a White Out with all fans encouraged to wear white for the doubleheader. The first 300 students who arrive at the women’s game will receive a white shirt. Oceanic Time Warner Cable is the sponsor of the contest and will award $300 in gas cards at halftime. The University of Hawaii Federal Credit Union will distribute 3,000 team photos on “Senior Night.”

6 Comments

  1. For me, because of the time zone, date 3/3/13 on Sunday
    3 seniors play a farewell match at the SSC, it sounds so great
    because I believe that the number 3 is a lucky number

    Hauns Brereton, Jace Tavita and Vander Joaquim,
    I wish you luck in your new life that begins after graduation,
    and I wish with all my heart that it starts with winning the match

    GO WARRIORS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO CHAMPIONS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. Three Night, Ozi Mum !?
    Great Night to Focus On & Deliver Three Performance…
    Hit A Lot of ʻem on our part & Prevent Poly on their part

    Cal Poly represents ʻthat typeʻ of BW Team we Need to get better at defending…
    Usually a Great Shooting Team — they hit 80% to win @ Northridge Thursday (like we need to do Next Thursday)
    and even their forwards are good shooting out to three, then used their athleticism & quickness to beat us to long rebounds Last Time…

    SO Display that Improved Deny Defense Tonight ʻBows!
    Play a Super Hard 40+, and we should be In the Game
    Play with the Final 8 minute Focus & Effort of your own Thursday night performance —
    All Night & thru the rest of this season and it should carry you Far into Post-Season…

    Win Two More (Tonight and this coming week) and lock up at least a tie for ʻThirdʻ (maybe second)
    and Send Off the Seniors and Team with their latest Season Renewal
    To A Great Season Topping Road Flourish

    GoʻBows!
    WIN Warriors!
    For The Three…

  3. Great to read your comments Ozi Mum and Aussie Mum. You are great supporters of your sons Ozren and Michael! Hopefully, Jace, Hauns and Vander and team will get a good win tonite against Cal Poly.

    Ozi Mum thank you for great contributions to forum, as well as the whole ohana(family) of Warrior Basketball, around the world. In a few years, there will be another group of seniors having their special final game, Ozren, Michael, Manroop, Jawato, Isaac, it should be very emotional and wonderful!

    UH MBB team, give great effort for 40 minutes , 110%, come out strong, not weak or flat, get a good lead, and hang on for the win!

    Thanks to all the fans and posts/comments this year. I can’t do too much, but post, when able to, and I appreciate this venue Dayton! Mahalo(thank you!)

    Aloha. And Go Warriors , make this a winning Senior nite for the 3 great guys, Vander, Jace and Hauns.

    Uhfanzonly1 and playhoopsa.

  4. Ticket tip: If you’re heading to the arena tonight and want to see both the Wahine and Warriors play, you can buy a ticket (upper level) for $10 and you can stay for both games. You can watch the Wahine game from the lower bowl, but you’ll have to move to your assigned seats for the men’s game. You have to purchase your ticket BEFORE HALFTIME of the women’s game … after that, the price bumps up to $18, the normal ticket charge for a men’s game. Should be a great doubleheader, with both teams hoping to improve their seedings for the BW Tournament.

  5. The season has gone so fast. Hard to believe. The future should be bright next year with a lot of returnees and redshirts, and new recruits. It’s been a C+ season so far as far as the record is concerened. Losing to Pepperdine at home was an upset. Losing to Illinois in OT on a buzzer beater was tough. Turn those games around would have us at 19-9 right now.That’s a big difference than 17-11. It’s now bombs away time. Tongiht, we have to match the 3 pt shooting prowess of Cal-Poly. Can’t trade 3 for 2. Perimeter defenders must extend the line another feet or more. And lest I forget, go Rainbow Wahine also! UH favored by 3 1/2 against Poly. I think it’s too high. Hope it’s a great Senior Night with a Big Win tonight. Go Warriors!!!

  6. UC-Irvine leading Long Beach by 11 in second half –
    – UCI is tied with Cal Poly right behind Hawaiʻi…

    Season HAS Gone FAST …
    We “Need” TWO NCAA Basketball Seasons, like 3 on 3 FOTU Style or “Beach” Volleyball…

    GO All-Out ʻBows!
    WIN, WIN Warriors!

    …Going Early to Support Na Wahine, too…

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