Warrior Insider

The University of Hawai’i basketball team has reached the halfway point of the Big West Conference regular season. With a 7-3 record, the Rainbow Warriors are in fourth place (out of 11), but are only 1.5 games behind first-place UC Santa Barbara (8-1).

Hawai’i’s three losses were by single-digits: at Cal State Fullerton (79-72 in OT), at UC Irvine (76-68) and home against UC Santa Barbara (65-64). By the same token, six of the Warriors’ seven wins were by single-digits.

“We’re a team at this point of the year has had ups and downs, individuals have had ups and downs,” Hawai’i head coach Eran Ganot said. “Like I said though, the experience of it will make us better if we use it right. I expect us to use it right … I wish we were a little better, but I think we’re in a good place.”

If the regular-season were to end today, the Warriors would be the No. 4 seed for the BWC Tournament and would face No. 5 Long Beach State. However there are still 10 games remaining in the regular season, and the “second half” starts this week.

The Warriors are scheduled to depart Honolulu on Tuesday for two road games this week – at UC Davis on Thursday, then at Cal Poly on Saturday. Hawai’i defeated both of those teams at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in late December.

Here are some interesting statistics from the Warriors’ first 10 BWC games:

• Hawai’i is the only team in the Big West that has used the same starting lineup for every conference game so far: Noel Coleman and JoVon McClanahan at guards, Samuta Avea and Kamaka Hepa at forwards, Bernardo da Silva at center.

• Those starting five players have scored 86.5 percent of the team’s points in BWC games.

• McClanahan is UH’s leading scorer in conference games with 14.3 points per game. Prior to the start of conference action, he was averaging 7.8 points per game.

• Coleman went 47 for 52 on free throws in the first 10 BWC games. His .904 percentage ranks second among BWC players, behind Cal State Fullerton’s Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (24 for 26, .923).

• Hepa ranks third among BWC players with 21 3-pointers in conference games. He is 21 for 56 (.375) from 3-point range, and 14 for 39 (.359) from inside the arc.

• Da Silva leads the conference in blocked shots with 15 against BWC opponents. He also ranks fourth in rebounding at 7.7 per game.

• Beon Riley has emerged as the team’s top reserve, averaging 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in BWC games.

• Hawai’i has allowed opponents to make only 37 3-pointers at a .268 percentage through the first 10 BWC games. UC Riverside is a distant second with 49 3-pointers allowed, while Cal State Fullerton is next for 3-point percentage allowed at .281.

Thursday’s Games
Hawai’i at UC Davis
Cal Poly at UC Santa Barbara
Long Beach State at Cal State Fullerton
UC Riverside at CSU Bakersfield
UC Irvine at UC San Diego

Saturday’s Games
UC Irvine at Long Beach State
UC Riverside at Cal State Fullerton
CSU Bakersfield at UC San Diego
UC Santa Barbara at CSUN
Hawai’i at Cal Poly