Warrior Insider

The University of Hawai’i basketball team has already been tested during this early portion of the 2019-20 season, including a tough road loss at Illinois, and a gritty win over a previously-undefeated San Francisco team. The eight games so far will seem like warmups for what is to come this Saturday.

The Rainbow Warriors’ next game will be their biggest challenge in two years – a road game at No. 13 ranked Oregon. It is the first time since December 2017 that the Warriors are playing a Top 25 opponent, and the first time since December 2012 that they are playing a true road game against a Top 25 opponent.

Saturday’s game is scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. (2:00 p.m. Hawai’i time), and will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.

Hawai’i is 6-2 and on a three-game winning streak. After dropping a 66-53 road game at Illinois on November 18, the Warriors won their next three at home, including Sunday’s 58-41 win over NCAA Division II Hawai’i Pacific.

“I think we’re going to have motivation from (the HPU game), not playing up to the level we’re capable of playing,” junior point guard Drew Buggs said. “We’re motivated to get back out there and show what we’re capable of. We also got motivation from the Illinois game. We played them tough there and we felt like we let one slip away at a Power Five school and now we get another shot.”

Oregon is 6-2 and might actually be better than its record indicates. The Ducks’ only losses have come against then-No. 8 Gonzaga by just one point (73-72), and against then-No. 6 North Carolina by just four points (78-74). Oregon also owns victories over then-No. 13 Memphis (82-74) and then-No. 13 Seton Hall (71-69).

Here is a list of UH’s last 10 performances against ranked opponents:

December 22, 2017 – lost to No. 6 Miami, 75-57
November 18, 2016 – lost to No. 5 North Carolina, 83-68
March 20, 2016 – lost to No. 18 Maryland (NCAA Tournament), 73-60
March 18, 2016 – win over No. 23 California (NCAA Tournament), 77-66
December 23, 2015 – lost to No. 3 Oklahoma, 84-81
December 23, 2014 – lost to No. 11 Wichita State, 80-79 (OT)
December 1, 2012 – lost at No. 24 UNLV, 77-63
December 31, 2011 – lost to No. 19 UNLV, 74-69
December 23, 2011 – win over. No. 14 Xavier, 84-82 (OT)
November 11, 2011 – lost at No. 22 Gonzaga, 73-57