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Warriors look to stop Aggies again

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The resilience of the University of Hawai’i basketball team will once again be put to the test when it plays a Big West Conference road game at UC Davis on Saturday.

The game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. (Hawai’i time) at The Pavilion in Davis, Calif., and it will not be televised (radio and internet information can be found below).

The Warriors are 18-10 overall and tied for fifth place in the conference at 6-6, following a 75-60 loss at UC Irvine on Thursday. Hawai’i has followed each of its previous nine losses this season with a victory. In other words, the Warriors have not lost two in a row this season.

That streak will be put to the test on Saturday against a UC Davis squad that has taken a firm grip of first place in the conference. The Aggies are 20-4 overall and 10-1 in the Big West. They are also undefeated (11-0) in The Pavilion this season.

UCD will not be lacking for motivation, as the Aggies are out for revenge. Hawai’i is the only Big West team to beat UCD this season – an 84-76 win in Honolulu on January 22.

Hawai’i collected 18 steals in that win, and UCD committed its season-high of 24 turnovers.

UH freshman guard Isaac Fleming had nine points, six steals and five assists in the win over UCD, but he is not expected to play on Saturday due to a sprained right ankle.

Two other Warriors – sophomores Aaron Valdes and Mike Thomas – are expected to play, although neither is considered at 100 percent due to ankle injuries of their own. Valdes scored a game-high 21 points and Thomas scored 13 in the win over UCD.

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Valdes continues to lead Hawai’i in both scoring (13.9) and rebounding (5.3). Sophomore forward Stefan Jankovic, who had career-highs of 18 points and 15 rebounds in the loss at UC Irvine on Thursday, is now second on the team in both scoring (10.2) and rebounding (4.8).

Negus Webster-Chan is averaging 17.0 points per game over the last two games, and has made 10 of 18 3-point attempts in those two games.

Senior guard Garrett Nevels is coming off his worst shooting game of the season, but is still contributing 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Junior point guard Roderick Bobbitt continues to lead the nation in steals with 89, and also leads the Big West in assists at 5.5 per game.

The Aggies are back at full strength after playing without star guard Corey Hawkins for a two-week stretch. He returned to action on Thursday, and scored 26 points, including 6-of-8 shooting from 3-point range, in a road win at Long Beach State.

Hawkins leads the nation in 3-point percentage at .540, and ranks fourth in the nation in scoring at 21.5 points per game. In addition, he leads the Aggies in rebounding (5.3) and assists (3.8).

The Aggies, as a team, rank first in the country with a .461 percentage from 3-point range, and are third in the country for overall field goal percentage at .501.

Other key players for UC Davis include 6-9 senior forward Josh Ritchart (12.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 50 3-pointers, .446 3-point percentage), 6-6 junior forward Josh Fox (9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, .626 field goal percentage) and 6-2 senior guard Tyler Les (7.3 points, 47 3-pointers, .480 3-point percentage).

Game Information
Who:
Hawai’i (18-10, 6-6 Big West) vs. UC Davis (20-4, 10-1 Big West)
When: Saturday, Feb. 21 (5:00 p.m. Hawai’i time)
Where: The Pavilion (Davis, Calif.)
Television: None
Streaming Video: www.bigwest.tv
Radio: Live on ESPN 1420 AM. 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 HawaiiAthlectics.com

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8 Comments

  1. Guard the 3 point shooters, don’t gamble on steals, unless your teammate has you covered. Shoot Free throws well, score well in paint, and shoot high 40 % range from FG, and hit about 8+ three pointers if they are there, wide open, Move the ball.

    Play well in half court sets, not one dribble and drive and throw up a prayer, clock management., I am sure Coach Benjy and staff after 3 months are trying to make it simple for you guys, however, take the sets you have, and be patient move the ball, and get good shots in paint, Rebound every missed shot on O and D end..keep turnovers down.. Win Ball Game, Come home really happy for final 2 Home games.

    Warrior Nation will be cheering you on from Serbia to Kapalama Heights, Hawaii.

    Go Bows..!! Do Not Give Up. 40 minutes of hard fought, smart, well executed ball. You have to be playing your best, near perfect basketball first week of March 2015.

    Go Warriors !!
    🙂

  2. Yes, guard the 3 pt shooters, they have 3 of the top five players in 3 pt FG percentage in the Big West.

    However, that will open up the inside some and UH can’t swarm the ball too much. How are their big men ?

    Garrett is okay dribbling in closer to shoot, but maybe use the backboard on some shots.

  3. It is already a sellout at Davis for tonight’s game! Memories of things being thrown on the floor at Manoa will be locker room fodder.

    Big Al is back and playing for UCSB tonight. They are having their way with Fullerton at near halftime. They are raining threes.

    This team has to get that hunger back that they had at the beginning of the year and everyone has to step up tonight. This a good match up for UH.

    GOOOOOO BOOOOWZ…sweep the Aggies.

  4. Some conferences are considering “restoring” freshman ineligibility for basketball and maybe football. Before 1972, freshman were ineligible to play varsity basketball and football.

    Some players attend college for only one semester.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/21/sports/ncaabasketball/conferences-consider-restoring-freshman-ineligibility-rule-for-basketball.html?_r=0

  5. islandman… I think the only True Freshman to play and Start for UH MBB was Melton Werts 6’9 1’2 230 pounder out of Philly and NYC.. He was a board crasher, not good hands, though big hands, great sky hook with either hand, and that inbound lob to him 12 feet away straight at basket behind that picket fence screen, similar to what Riley Wallace did with his bigs.. Melton would hit that shot 80% of the times.. 52% FT shooter, , or something like that..
    54% from Filed shooter, lot of offensive rebounds, near 2 blocks a game, and Freshman year, I think he averaged 13 ppg and 11 rebounds.. quite a good big, though put ball down , and got stripped, noticed, Janks, and Jovanovich, this 21st century bigs, really try to keep ball high and go up straight..
    Yes.. Mel Werts.. he was good.. first freshman to play for UH MBB when ncaa allowed it, in 1972-73 along with Tom Henderson, Artie Wilson, Rod Aldridge, Skip Williams, Marv Vitatoe, Tyrone Dr. J. (Jawbone), Bradshaw, John Pennebacker, ..
    And There was a freshman team too, with Packy Ryan, Gary Gray, George Ritter..they played local, and military clubs, and JC teams including Tommy Barker’s College of Southern Idaho JC team, Barker, transferred for soph year, from Minnesota, where he played a little for Bill Musslemen with the gophers.. then went straight to JC, became and All American, and was recruited by Bruce O’Neil.. that year 1974-75, loaded team, Barker 6’11” Jr, JC transfer, Mel Werts 6’9″ Jr. center, Jimmie Baker 6’9″ UNLV transfer for Sr year., Sam Puckett from UH Hilo transfer, Ron Fryson, JC all region all star from Souther Idaho JC, Paul Burnie, 6’8″ JC transfer.. and Victor Tiny Kelly out of NYC and transferred from JC I think and all American at San Jacinto JC 5’6″ guard, who said he could dunk, cat quick, good shooter, near 90% from FT, line.. How, did they get those guys/
    ??
    🙂
    Was fun, though that team went 16-11 post Henderson era.. with 2 wins over Meiji University of Japan..
    Next season 1975-76.. more outstanding freshmen, Reggie Carter,6’3″ All American NYC HS product, George Lett 6’7″ HS star out of NYC, Henry Hollingsworth,(puka shell)5’11” star HS out of Long Island?, shoot from 28 feet from the corner, booom, 2 points.. , Ed Torres 6’8″ NYC HS star, recruited by Al Melendez later of HC at Hofstra? and the NY Nets assistant..>?…Henry I think was a RS freshman.. so…at least 5 really good freshmen out of NY area.. wow..

    This year’s team? I would say they shoot well, and disrupt, ,and just go MONSTER.. could beat teams of the past.. UH MBB.. however, Savo teams smart, the Fab Five Smart, they could move the ball and pass to open man, that is how you beat pressure, or the guard really sure with the ball strong with the ball.

    UH just has NOTHING TO LOSE>…they can get the 19 and 20th wins at home next week, However to Upset, top Dawg Davis in their house,.. UH shoot well, defend better.. can win..

    Go Bows!
    Rock that Davis Dome !!

  6. Freshman eligibility will never be brought back. Just silly for schools to even discuss it.

  7. Totally disappointed , Warriors should have won tonight They cane back from 13 down go up 11 and blow the darn lead no timeouts called earlier to stop the momentum. This season is imploding. Come on guys. We can’t afford to lose any home games. Our seeding in the standing will probably drop another notch or two. Geez unacceptable.

  8. Again, this shows why we need a veteran coach for next year. No excuse for losing that one after getting the double digit lead that late. Bad out coached down the stretch. Oh yeah. Might want to guard Les. What a joke

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