‘Bows and ‘Swords to battle on Molokai

KAUNAKAKAI, MOLOKAI » First impressions matter, especially for hoops ambassadors.

Tonight the Hawaii men’s basketball team will try to make UH’s first official game on Molokai in any sport count when the Rainbow Warriors play Division II Chaminade at 7:30 in Molokai High School’s gym, "The Barn."

While displaying the game at a high level to the Friendly Isle locals is up there on UH’s interisland to-do list, so is a return to form coming off consecutive losses.

The latter defeat, a 63-56 setback against Pepperdine last Saturday, was particularly distasteful for the ‘Bows, as they were held to several offensive season worsts.

This cross-division game is the last opportunity for UH (4-3) to snap out of its funk before a stacked Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic field arrives for games Dec. 22, 23 and 25. Big West play awaits beyond.

"We have two (straight) losses, and this is a big game for us to move on from those last two," senior wing Hauns Brereton said.

This is no gimme game. Chaminade (3-5, UPDATE RECORD HERE) claimed proud Texas as its latest victim in the EA Sports Maui Invitational first round last month, AND/BUT is coming off a (WIN/LOSS vs. CEDARVILLE) on Friday night.

UH seems to have worked hard on its suddenly stagnant transition game in closed practices this week, specifically with struggling perimeter players Brereton and Brandon Spearman. The ‘Bows flew into Molokai after their last final exams on Friday and got in a late-night practice at the Farmers’ gym.

It is a homecoming for UH assistant coach Brandyn Akana, who grew up playing hoops on Molokai’s east shore, a remote stretch even by the standards of this sparse island (population about 7,500). The extended Akana family will have a strong presence at the game, though Chaminade is technically the home team.

Island hopping is nothing new to the ‘Bows under third-year coach Gib Arnold. UH has wins over Chicago State and North Carolina A&T on Maui and Hawaii-Hilo on Hawaii Island in the past two years.

"It’s been a great experience every time," Arnold said. "It’s a chance to meet new people and get out and see the fans. People come up to you even though they’ve never seen a game in person. They know the team, they’ve watched on TV. They read the paper. … I hope there’s a few more Akanas in the crowd who one day will come and play for us."

A near-capacity crowd is expected tonight at the roughly 2,000-seat Barn.

UH is already familiar with the gym’s intimate confines. The ‘Bows spent a preseason weekend there for a team bonding retreat, and got to meet some of the local residents in Hoolehua.

"We know what kind of gym we’re going to, we know the people are pretty excited," said Brereton, who will try to snap a three-game streak of single-digit scoring. "The crowd’s going to be right on us. Just another chance to play for the people of Molokai."

Chaminade doesn’t play anyone taller than 6-foot-8 in their five-out motion system, in which every player on the court is expected to hit 3s.

Conversely, UH’s strength remains in its bigs; posts Christian Standhardinger (16.6 ppg) and Vander Joaquim (14.3) are the only ‘Bows to score in double figures in each game this season.

After taking down Texas, the ‘Swords have struggled, largely due to some key injuries. And those losses came against tourney champ Illinois — now ranked No. 10 — followed by then-No. 9 North Carolina and PacWest contenders Dixie State and Grand Canyon.

But Chaminade got two key players back from injury against Cedarville. Talented guard De’Andre Haskins, a Maui all-tournament team selection, was out with a sprained MCL suffered near the end of the the UNC game. He went into Friday averaging 21.2 points per game. Freshman forward Kevin Hu, who was instrumental off the bench vs. Texas, returned from a concussion. Both came off the bench on Friday.

Second-year Chaminade coach Eric Bovaird agreed to the quick-turnaround UH game even with the Cedarville game locked in months prior. After Friday’s game, the ‘Swords were expected to leave for Molokai this morning.

"I’m sure coming off two losses, UH will be gung-ho ready to go with a week of preparation," Bovaird said. "It is a quick turnaround (for us), … but we want to play them. Our guys want to play them, so it’s something we felt like, even though we’re going back-to-back, let’s play anyway. We’ve got nothing to lose."