‘Bows out to break The Beach streak

A question of mental toughness was answered by last week’s two-game road sweep.

But physical toughness? The Hawaii basketball team can settle that definitively tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center against the Big West’s neighborhood bully, Long Beach State.

Assistant coach John Montgomery closed Wednesday’s practice by, in so many words, telling the Rainbow Warriors to put their big boy pants on for their battle with The Beach.

Tonight’s matchup of inconsistent teams — UH and LBSU have shown the capacity to win or lose against anyone in the conference — could settle the fifth seed for the Big West tournament.

LBSU’s Dan Monson, the dean of Big West coaches in his 11th year, called last week a “gut check” for UH.

“I thought they showed great character,” Monson said. “They passed that check with flying colors. … I think when you lose five games in a row, you find out who you are, and they really found out they’re a resilient, tough-minded team.”

The ’Bows (15-10, 6-6 Big West) summoned resolve to edge UC Irvine and UC Riverside in tight situations late.

“When you go through a losing streak like that, you really start to question yourself. Your work ethic, your own toughness,” senior forward Gibson Johnson said. “(The trip) was big time for us. A lot of things didn’t go our way but we found a way to get the job done. That’s the same thing we’re looking to do this week.”

The ’Bows, who’ve dropped three straight at the Sheriff entering their final homestand, haven’t lost four straight at home since 2009-10.

Top scorer (13.5) and rebounder (6.1) Mike Thomas is still classified as day to day by UH with an unspecified injury. If he misses a second straight game, Jack Purchase, Zigmars Raimo and Ido Flaisher assume larger roles against LBSU’s beefy front line.

The last three meetings have gone the way of The Beach, including an 89-81 loss at LBSU (13-15, 7-5) to open Big West play Jan. 4. LBSU made only one 3-pointer to UH’s 11 but shot 63 percent from the field, becoming the first of three conference opponents to shoot 60-plus percent against UH this season. Barry Ogalue, a role player, got inside and shot 9-for-10 for 21 points.

“It’s no secret how we’re trying to play. We were able to get the ball inside and shoot a high percentage last time,” Monson said. “Yet, we couldn’t stop them either. It was a who-had-the-ball-last type of game.

“Every game’s organic, every game’s new. I would take 50 points in the paint again right now but I’d think it’d be a little more difficult to come by.”

Last year’s matchup at the Sheriff was a 114-107 overtime shootout.

Purchase, who had 25 points in that one, is coming off his first career double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) at Riverside, while Raimo posted six points, five rebounds and five assists.

LBSU has lost three of four, including a 105-104 double OT loss at home to UC Davis in which forward Gabe Levin (18.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg) had 45 points in defeat, tying Ed Ratleff’s school single-game record. Levin shot 24-for-28 at the free-throw line, breaking the Big West records in foul makes and attempts. He needs four points to reach 1,000 at LBSU and 11 more rebounds for 500.

Temidayo Yussuf (11 points, 7.5 rebounds in BWC play) personifies the 49ers’ rugged post attack, and has given UH plenty of problems at 6-7 and 270 pounds.

“He’s really strong, but there’s a lot of guys just like Temidayo Yussuf in this league where they’re really strong, smart players that use their body well,” Johnson said. “We’re just going to have to match that intensity.”

LBSU features two guards who were recruiting prospects for UH in senior Bryan Alberts, a Gonzaga transfer, and Finnish freshman Edon Maxhuni, who’s playing well.

”The reality is they’re deep and balanced,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “They’ve got shooting around those two bigs, and Gabe Levin, who makes an argument for player of the year. There’s a reason they’ve been good and a reason we’ve had issues with them.”