Warrior Insider

Along with some warm clothes, the University of Hawai’i is packing defense and rebounding for its weekend trip to Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Rainbow Warriors departed Honolulu on Thursday morning for their first road game of this season. They will play a non-conference game at Utah on Saturday. The game is scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m. (Hawai’i time), and will be televised live on the Pac-12 Network (available to subscribers only).

“That’s why I think we talk so much about defend and rebound, because that travels with you,” Hawai’i head coach Eran Ganot said. “You might have an off shooting night, it doesn’t matter if you’re home or away. But defense, rebounding, taking care of the ball, that travels with you.”

Whether Hawai’i’s defense and rebounding will be enough to knock off the Runnin’ Utes remains to be seen.

The Warriors are 4-1, following an 87-77 win over Adams State on Monday. Utah is 5-1, and last played on November 24, when it beat Eastern Washington, 85-69. The Utes are 4-0 at home, with an average margin of 23.2 points per win.

Ganot notes that Hawai’i is 10-7 in true road games over the previous two seasons.

“A big thing I can’t stand hearing over the years is ‘Hawai’i can’t perform on the road.’ It’s exhausting,” he said. “You either jump all in on that or you confront it and say ‘let’s go, we’re going to change that.’ ”

HAWAI’I (4-1, 0-0 Big West) at UTAH (5-1, 0-0 Pac-12)
When: Saturday, Dec. 2, 5:00 p.m. (Mountain) 2:00 p.m. (Hawai’i)
Where: Huntsman Center (15,000) – Salt Lake City, Utah
Television: Pac-12 Network (subscription required)
Streaming Video: pac-12.com/Pac-12 Now app (subscription required)
Radio: Live on ESPN 1420 AM. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KPUA on the Big Island, KTOH on Kaua’i, and KNWJ in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
Audio Webcast: ESPN1420am.com/Sideline Hawai’i App.
Live Stats: HawaiiAthletics.com