Warriors looking for home sweep this week
The good news is the University of Hawai’i basketball team has been consistent over the past four weeks of the Big West Conference season.
The not-so-good news is that the Rainbow Warriors’ consistency has come in the form of a 1-1 record in each of those past four weeks. The weekly “splits” have allowed the Warriors to remain in the top half of the Big West standings, but if they are going to make a move toward the top, a 2-0 “sweep” week will have to come sooner rather than later.
This could be the week to do it.
Hawai’i is 14-9 overall and in fourth place in the Big West at 5-4, following a road split last week – win at Long Beach State, followed by a loss at first-place UC Irvine.
The Warriors are back home this week for a pair of games – Cal Poly on Thursday, and UC Riverside on Saturday. Those happen to be the two bottom teams in the current Big West standings.
Cal Poly is 5-17 overall and in last place (ninth) at 1-8 in the conference; UCR is 8-17 overall and in eighth place at 2-7, although the Highlanders own a 75-71 victory over the Warriors on January 19 in Riverside, Calif.
A home sweep this week could get Hawai’i to as high as second place, pending the outcomes of other games.
It should be noted that Hawai’i still has a mathematical shot at first place, but current leader UC Irvine would need to go through a late-season meltdown for that to happen. Even if the Warriors were to go 7-0 in their remaining seven games, UCI would have to go 2-4, or worse, in its remaining games for Hawai’i to claim the regular-season championship.
It should also be noted that the Warriors only have three home games remaining this season – the two this week, then the “Senior Night” finale against CSUN on March 2.
More details on the upcoming games will be posted in the days to come. Here are the current standings …
Wednesday’s Games
CSUN at UC Davis
Long Beach State at Cal State Fullerton
Thursday’s Games
UC Santa Barbara at UC Riverside
Cal Poly at Hawai’i
Saturday’s Games
Cal State Fullerton at CSUN
Long Beach State at UC Davis
UC Santa Barbara at UC Irvine
UC Riverside at Hawai’i
