Warriors host undefeated San Francisco on day after Thanksgiving
There will be no time for shopping, napping or eating leftovers on Friday for the University of Hawai’i basketball team. A day after Thanksgiving, the Rainbow Warriors will have to be at their best when they host an undefeated San Francisco team at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., and will be part of a UH basketball doubleheader. The Rainbow Wahine will host North Texas at 5:00 p.m. Fans with tickets to the men’s game can arrive early and attend both games.
The UH Athletics Department announced on Wednesday that tickets for select upper level sections are on sale for just $5 for this game. CLICK HERE for more information
The Warriors are 4-2 following a 79-71 home win over New Orleans on Sunday. The Dons are 7-0 following an 89-73 home win over Hampton on Tuesday.
USF’s other six wins this season have come against Sonoma State, Princeton, Yale, Southern Illinois, Cal State Bakersfield and Sam Houston State. Only the Southern Illinois victory came on the road.
The Dons are not receiving votes in the Top 25 national polls, but they are at No. 20 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, and at No. 24 in the Mid-Major Madness Top 25.
USF’s fast start under first-year head coach Todd Golden has come with a fast-paced offense. The Dons currently rank fourth in NCAA Division I in scoring at 88.9 points per game, while allowing opponents to score 69.3. They also rank 10th in the nation with an average of 11.7 3-pointers per game.
By comparison, the Warriors are averaging 71.2 points per game (allowing 68.7), and 7.7 3-pointers per game.
The Dons have been getting points from various sources. Charles Minlend, a 6-foot-4 junior guard, leads the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game. He is the top returnee from last season, when the Dons finished 21-10. Minlend was picked to the Preseason All-West Coast Conference Team.
He will likely matchup with UH senior guard Eddie Stansberry, who leads the Warriors in scoring at 19.0 points per game, and has also made 20 3-pointers at a 45.5 percent clip in six games.
Another intriguing matchup will be at point guard. USF’s Jamaree Bouyea, a 6-2 junior, is averaging 14.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. Hawai’i junior Drew Buggs is averaging 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
The other starters for USF are Jordan Ratinho, a 6-5 senior guard averaging 11.0 points per game, Josh Kunen, a 6-8 freshman forward from Australia averaging 4.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, and Jimbo Lull, a 7-foot senior center averaging 11.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
The Dons also have a dynamic scorer off the bench in Khalil Shabazz, a 6-1 sophomore guard. He is averaging 11.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in just 19.7 minutes per game.
The other key contributors for the Warriors include 6-6 junior forward Samuta Avea, who is averaging 11.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and 6-9 senior forward Zigmars Raimo, who is averaging 11.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Dawson Carper, a 7-foot sophomore, is averaging 6.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, and has a .696 field goal percentage. It should make for another interesting battle under the basket with USF’s 7-footer Lull.
The Warriors will once again be directed by acting head coach Chris Gerlufsen, who has been filling in for head coach Eran Ganot since the start of the regular season. Ganot remains on an indefinite and undisclosed medical leave with no announced timetable for a return.
Friday is also “Fabulous 5 Night” and players from the 1970-72 UH teams will be acknowledged during the game. There will also be an autograph session after the game, and players scheduled to attend include Jerome Freeman, Dwight Holiday, Bob Nash, John Penebacker, Dennis Sallas, Jim Wienstroer and Artie Wilson.
HAWAI’I (4-2) vs. SAN FRANCISCO (7-0)
When: Friday, Nov. 29, 7:30 p.m. HT
Where: Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) – Honolulu, HI
Television: Live on Spectrum Sports – Channels 16 (SD) and 1016 (HD).
Streaming Video: BigWest.TV (Must be a Spectrum cable subscriber to stream in Hawai’i).
Radio: Live on ESPN Honolulu (1420 AM/92.7 FM), KRKH (Maui), KPUA (Hawai’i Island), and KTOH (Kaua’i).
Audio Webcast: ESPNHonolulu.com/Sideline Hawai’i App.
Live Stats: HawaiiAthletics.com
Ticket Information: Lower level – $32; Upper level (prices vary by section) – $22, $18 or $5 for adults, $18, $15 or $5 for senior citizens, $8 or $5 for students. Free for UH Manoa students with ID. UH Manoa students free with validated ID. Men’s ticket also good for the UH women’s game beginning at 5:00. Parking is $7.
Fabulous 5 Night: Players from the 1970-72 UH basketball teams will be honored during the game, and will sign autographs after the game.
Very nice video and insightful article. Also, the previous story on the Fabulous Five listed some amazing things they did such as having all sellouts in 1971-72 season.