Rainbow Warriors look to shake off overtime loss to Illinois

What’s in a nickname?

Too much, apparently, for the University of North Dakota, the opponent tonight to cap off a five-game season-opening homestand for the Hawaii men’s basketball team.

The former Fighting Sioux had their controversial nickname dropped in the offseason after a statewide vote. As it stands, UND is prohibited from taking on a new one until 2015.

"It’s definitely been a strain," sixth-year UND coach Brian Jones said. "But as I told our guys, a nickname has never scored a point or grabbed a rebound or won a game. They have no control over it, so just do what you have to do at this point, and take pride in that."

UND (1-2) arrives at the Stan Sheriff Center at an inopportune time to ask the Rainbow Warriors (3-1) to drop names in the suggestion box. Besides the fact that UH has wavered on its team names from sport to sport, the ‘Bows are still seething from their 78-77 stunner of a loss to Illinois at the overtime buzzer on Friday night.

"(Sunday) the practice intensity was out the roof," said junior guard Brandon Spearman, who had career highs of 20 points and nine rebounds against his home-state team. "We had a funny feeling in our stomach when we lost that game and we’re going to do our best not to have that feeling again."

Four UH starters have carried the offensive load. Senior center Vander Joaquim is up to 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game after his 22-point, 11-rebound outburst against UI, which included his first two 3-pointers at UH, not to mention a game-tying elbow jumper at the regulation buzzer. Forward Christian Standhardinger and wing Hauns Brereton struggled from the field vs. the Fighting Illini, but are still averaging 16 and 15 ppg respectively. Spearman is up to 14.3 ppg.

"I think we’re going to rely on those guys," UH coach Gib Arnold said of his team’s scoring. "We need their scoring down low, plus Isaac Fotu (off the bench). And Spearman and Hauns have to continue to knock down shots."

Senior point guard Jace Tavita rarely attempts a shot but is averaging 8.5 assists, which at present would be the best single-season average in program history. At the same time, he’s turning the ball over more than five times per game.

As a team, UH is averaging 17.8 giveaways to 11.3 for its opponents. And missed free throws (17-for-31) were especially costly against the Illini, whose guard D.J. Richardson made UH pay with a 3-pointer from the left corner at the OT buzzer.

"It’s already happened and you can’t change the past. All we can do is use the learning experience to trampoline forward," Brereton said.

"Can’t wait for (today)," he added. "I can’t wait to get this feeling off our chest and I know my teammates feel the same."

Defense was the team’s staple in Arnold’s first season, 2010-11. After some slippage last year, so far the D is back. Through four games, UH is holding its opponents to 35.8 percent shooting, while outrebounding them 45.0 to 33.5. Arnold said ball-screen defense will be paramount in this one.

UND won the Great West Tournament in each of the past two years, and has since moved on to the Big Sky Conference. But it has yet to record a Division I victory this season.

Aaron Anderson leads guard-oriented UND with 12 points and 3.3 assists per game.

UND is one of four Big Sky teams UH has never beaten. The teams’ only previous meeting, won 70-53 by UND, happened March 8, 1949, in Kansas City, Mo.