Rainbows confident as they go to Fullerton

Size narrowly prevailed over speed in Round 1. Now comes the rematch.

Hawaii and Cal State Fullerton are set to touch gloves again, this time taking their contrast of styles to the 4,000-seat Titan Gym today in Fullerton, Calif.

Plenty of excitement is expected; UH won a wild Jan. 3 meeting in Honolulu in comeback fashion, 90-88, on reserve guard Garrett Jefferson’s floater at the buzzer.

"It’s going back to who’s going to be able to control their style. If we can contain their 3s, we’ll have a good chance of winning. If they can contain us underneath, then they’ll have a good chance of winning," UH coach Gib Arnold said. "I think we both know what we’ve got to do; it’s just going to be a matter of who’s going to be able do it."

"Nothing’s changed on our end. We’re going to play fast, we’re going to score a lot of points," said Andy Newman, interim head coach of the third-highest scoring team in the country. "It’ll be a fun game and a battle of wills."

UH is coming off another comeback — from 14 points down in the first half — in a 72-68 win at UC Riverside on Thursday, moving the Rainbow Warriors into sole possession of third place. They can earn their first three-game road winning streak in nine years if they can best the Titans to conclude four straight games on the mainland.

"It would be huge. It would be outstanding if we could do that," Arnold said. "Not only put us in a good position going into the end of the year in the standings, but it would feel good because of the hard work these guys have put in."

The last time UH accomplished that rare feat was by defeating San Jose State, SMU and Louisiana Tech in succession in January 2004 on the way to a 21-win season and an NIT appearance under Riley Wallace.

Arnold said the team was lively and at full health following a practice at Fullerton on Friday.

The Titans opened league play 3-1, but have since dropped four of five, including a 92-86 home loss to last-place Cal State Northridge on Thursday.

A pep rally on Wednesday became a life-altering event for Newman. His wife’s water broke right before he was to go on stage to speak.

"It was a tough moment for me, but my wife (Kellie) made me stick around. So I went up there and don’t even know what I said. … ‘Go Titans!’ and then I think I ran off the stage. It was pretty funny."

His first child, Luke Andrew, was born early Thursday morning. Newman credited Kellie again for keeping him focused on the game that night.

"It’s been great," he said. "She’s a superstar, she’s been doing everything."

The Titans are down to six scholarship players due to injuries and departures, but have their lead horses. Behind the guard play of D.J. Seeley, Kwame Vaughn and Sammy Yeager, the Titans average 82.2 points a game. Seeley is second in Big West scoring at 19.3 ppg, Vaughn is third (18.2) and Yeager ninth (15.3).

Fullerton is fourth nationally in free-throw percentage (.777) and is ninth in 3-pointers made (9.0) and eighth in 3-point percentage (.403).

But the Titans top out at 6-foot-7, giving the Rainbow Warriors a distinct advantage inside.

"We have to find new and inventive ways to defend big guys and rebound," Newman said, alluding to UH’s big man rotation of Vander Joaquim, Christian Standhardinger and Isaac Fotu.

Standhardinger upped his season averages to 15.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game thanks to monster games in both road wins — 31 points and 16 rebounds vs. UC Santa Barbara last week and 23 points and 10 boards at UCR.

"Christian’s just very locked in right now and playing with a great deal of confidence, and having fun," Arnold said. "I think that’s a big part of why he’s playing well."