Rainbows focus on defense for matchup with Lumberjacks

In its defense, the Hawaii basketball team is claiming mistaken identity.

That UH team that North Texas picked apart last week? Head coach Eran Ganot insisted that was not the real Rainbow Warriors.

“I would hope not,” Ganot said. “But we have to prove that. Talk is one thing.”

The ’Bows are seeking a better defensive performance when they play host to Northern Arizona today in the Stan Sheriff Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Hawaii spent the past week working on help-out rotations and defending baseline cuts and point-of-attack drives. Those lapses against North Texas “were uncharacteristic of our program,” Ganot said. “People always talk about our support for each other. That’s our program. That’s the way we play offensively, that’s the way we play defensively. And that went away.

“I would hope that’s uncharacteristic of us. I know it is. But we have to prove it.”

In last week’s three-game tournament, the ’Bows played man-to-man defense except for a sprinkling of zone. The belief was better defensive movement — not a zone — was the preferred tactic against North Texas.

“They’re not an easy team to zone, certainly,” Ganot said, noting the Mean Green’s accurate outside shooting.

The Green also went with a small and quick lineup that created matchup problems for Hawaii.

“We made a lot of mistakes, and they used it every single time,” post player Zigmars Raimo said.

Point guard Drew Buggs added: “We’ve been working this week on getting back to playing the right way, playing the way we know how to play, competing. … Defense wins championships. You can’t just win based off offense. You have to really defend. That’s something we really want to hone in and tune up.”

Northern Arizona (2-1) will be playing its fourth game in eight days, and third on the road since Monday. The Lumberjacks lost at South Dakota 90-74 on Monday then earned a surprising 76-66 victory at Omaha on Wednesday.

NAU’s roster is a fusion of transfers and returnees. Two 6-foot-4 players — Ted McCree and Carlos Hines — are each averaging a team-high 13.7 points per game. McCree is a transfer from Gillette College in Wyoming. Hines averaged 3.7 points as a reserve last season. Bernie Andre, a 6-7 post, has plucked 8.3 rebounds per game.

Davon Balton, who connected on 42 percent of his 3-point attempts in junior college last season, is the Lumberjacks’ most prolific deep shooter.

“They’re coming off a big win at Omaha,” Ganot said. “They’ve traveled, and they’ve traveled well, clearly.”

The ’Bows are hopeful that combo guard Sheriff Drammeh will be available. He practiced this week after missing the first three games because of an ankle injury.