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Warriors shooting for redemption against 49ers

Nevels2_LBSU_Haraki

The University of Hawai’i basketball team would like to end its losing streak while keeping Long Beach State’s intact when the two teams meet on Thursday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The Warriors are 18-11 overall and tied for sixth place in the Big West Conference at 6-7. They are on a two-game losing streak – the longest such streak of the season. The 49ers are 13-15 overall and have lost four in a row to drop from first place to a tie for third at 7-5.

In addition to getting back on a winning track, the Warriors would like to settle a score. The 49ers beat Hawai’i, 65-50, on January 31 at Long Beach, Calif. It is the lowest point total for the Warriors this season.

“It was kind of a tough game for us to take in,” sophomore Negus Webster-Chan said. “We just put that behind us and not really trying to remember that game, but we’re angry at that, so we’re going to come out strong.”

The final score was somewhat deceiving, as the Warriors opened the game with a 12-0 lead, and held a one-point lead at halftime. Hawai’i also collected 15 steals against the 49ers, and held All-Big West guard Mike Caffey to a season-low five points.

“I got full confidence in Rod (Bobbitt) to play good defense against Mike Caffey, so it’s just up to everybody else to control their man,” senior guard Garrett Nevels said. “Don’t let them get any offensive rebounds and (for us) offensively, I would just say working together for good looks.”

The Warriors two-game losing streak has coincided with injuries to three players – leading scorer/rebounder Aaron Valdes, and key contributors Mike Thomas and Isaac Fleming.

Valdes is expected to be in the starting lineup on Thursday; Thomas said he will play, although his left ankle is not quite 100 percent; Fleming is not expected to play.

Defense_LongBeach_Haraki

Valdes is averaging 13.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, and is followed by sophomore forward Stefan Jankovic at 10.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

Nevels is averaging 10.5 points per game, and is coming off a season-high 19 points in his last game. Webster-Chan is averaging 8.4 points per game, and is 14 for 29 (48.3 percent) from 3-point range in his last four games.

Thomas scored eight points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds in the loss at Long Beach State last month. “Offensive rebounding,” Thomas said. “They gave me a lot of boards, just sneaking in, getting behind defenders and jumping.”

The 49ers are led by Caffey, who is averaging 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. David Samuels, a 6-7, 220-pound senior forward, is averaging 10.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Long Beach State usually starts five players 6-7 and shorter, and the 49ers rank last in the conference in rebound margin (-2.7 per game).

It is also the second-to-last home game of the season, and the Warriors are hoping that the fans come out to support a potential run to a 20-win season.

“A big difference,” Thomas said of the home crowd. “We love to get the crowd going and everything.”

(WarriorInsider.com file photos courtesy Warren Haraki)

Thursday’s Game Information
Who:
Hawai’i (18-11, 6-7 Big West) vs. Long Beach State (13-15, 7-5 Big West)
When: Thursday, Feb. 26, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Stan Sheriff Center (Honolulu, O’ahu)
Tickets: Lower level – $26 all seats; upper level – $18 for adults, $16 for senior citizens, $5 for students. Parking is $6.
Television: Live on OCSports – Channels 16 (SD) and 1016 (HD).
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

— — — — — — —

Larry Little, head coach of the UH men’s basketball program from 1976-85, passed away on February 24 in Las Vegas, where he had been residing for several years.

CLICK HERE to view the UH Athletics release

— — — — — — —

KHON2 News did a nice feature on members of the UH basketball team visiting a teenage fan who is battling an inoperable brain tumor.

CLICK HERE to view the story … the video is below:

9 Comments

  1. Go Bows…. dedication of season for selves, UH , Hawaii your families, and those ailing and having lost loved ones..this Team 2014-15, really great hearted.. One of The Best through Adversity of all time for me.. should write a book about this season.. Tremendous, Strength, fortitude, caring for one another, and lovers of Hawaii, and and all it’s fans!

    Go Bows..

  2. And win games , dedicate for TJ Fernandez, and families of Larry Little and Riley Wallace and so many others of UH MBB ohana..

  3. RIP Coach Little! And a big shout out to the team making a hospital visit to that fan…very touching.

    Need to get down to business tonight. Focus on getting that milestone 20 win season. I think the Bows will get it done if they can do some, if not all of the following:

    -Rod needs to shut down Mike Caffey again. 10 points or less should do the trick
    -Crash the boards! If MT is healthy enough to bang down low then great…if not, we need to get some of the other bigs involved as well as the high flying guards of ours. Second chance points will be KEY!
    -Force the turnovers. 16 turnovers is a joke, especially for this team. Forcing 20+ should do the trick!

    Wild cards…
    -Nevels needs to continue his tear. I can’t believe 19 points is his season high. Make the most of your last week here Garrett! Be greedy for once, 30+!!
    -NWC also needs to continue to shoot. He’s finally coming out of his shell, I just wish he’d done it earlier in the year.
    -Optimistic to see some un-biased, quality officiating tonight! Oh wait, we’re in the Big West….:-O
    -The crowd! I’d make it out if I didn’t have a newborn and live way out on the west side. Need to get the SSC rocking, LB St. is prob the closest thing to an ‘inter-conference’ rival we have.

    Looking forward to a great game. Let’s GO BOWS!

  4. UH favored by 1.5 to 3.5 points by oddsmakers.

  5. Condolences to the Little family. Coach Larry was one of the good guys in the business. The old line back then was he should of stayed at Centenary because he was a true Gentlemen.

    Those of us who remember back then know that he brought in some terrific guards like Pop Dickerson, Strayhorn, Racky Sessler and Tony Webster who had the steals record before Mr. Bobbitt came along. He just could never find any good big men and please nobody bring up Rogue Harris name! Coach Little could never really get us over that hump but his lead assistant Riley Wallace took over and gave us a better product.

    Good job by Coach Little to settle everything down after the NCAA scandal of that time. Now Benjy’s turn to do the same.

  6. God bless Coach Little and his loved ones.

    Whoever is ready and healthy on Thursday will play. These last few games are critical as far as tournament seeding. Not to say a last seeded team cannot win it all. But highly unlikely. Plus we are 2 wins away from another 20 win season. That alone is a tremendous statement as far as how far this program has come. No doubt it is a shot in the arm for recruiting in spite of the NCAA violations. There’s a lot at stake in the next few weeks. We will see what this team is made of. They’ve been through many battles this past season. Yet another one looms ahead. I think it was Vince Lombardi that once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Tournament time is like running a marathon and hitting the wall at 20 miles. That’s when the race really begins. But you know what? When the going gets tough, the tough get going; and that’s the epitome of this team and TJ the mightly warrior.

  7. Ho man, I just watched the KHON news video and what an emotional experience. Negus and Janks really emotional in the video especially Negus. They made that poor kid and his mom’s day! I hope and pray they can use the experience as inspiration. Benjy and the guys making a difference in the community and continue to make us fans proud no matter whats happening with others trying to bring them down.

  8. Maniacs in debt, noted on wsn forum; a prize website cost $12,000; mistake in budgeting,etc. SAFC ( Student Athletic Fee Committee) and Manoa Maniacs each receive 4 % of the student athletic fee.

    “The $12,000 would keep the website in operation for the rest of the school year, she said. After that, she said her group would focus on cheaper, more effective ways of promoting games, including door-to-door visits at on-campus housing complexes.”

    Hope better accounting in the future.

    http://www.kaleo.org/news/m-noa-maniacs-k-in-debt/article_6d9d6e20-bcd2-11e4-9d61-b3480ff4871b.html

  9. ONLY TWO Chances Remaining for MManiacs/ASUH to Contribute / IMPACT SSC Energy Levels…
    Thursday & Wednesday “School” Nights No Less…

    GO ‘ BOWS !

    19!

    20?

    21?

    JUST ONE WIN PER WEEK…

    THEN…

    PLUS ANAHEIM THREE?

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