The obstacles are there, but the path is clear.

The Hawaii women’s basketball team has a realistic shot at a Big West Conference regular-season title in playing five of its last seven games at home before the league tournament next month.

Second-place UH is a game behind league-leader Pacific, Saturday’s opponent at the Stan Sheriff Center.

First up, though, UH goes for a sweep of UC Davis, a team the Rainbow Wahine beat 71-63 in Northern California on Jan. 19.

"You know, I think any time you have an opportunity to make a run at a conference championship, to be able to do it at home is nice," UH coach Laura Beeman said. "I like our chances here, but I also like what we’ve done on the road."

UH is 3-1 at the Sheriff in Big West games, losing only a one-point affair against UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 26.

The Wahine have been mostly successful since then, going 2-1 on a 10-day road trip. However, they ended the odyssey with a 64-52 loss at last-place UC Irvine last Saturday. Players and coaches agreed the effort and execution against the Anteaters were not satisfactory.

"We knew that after that last game, we could have been tied for first," junior forward Kamilah Martin said. "Losing to them definitely has set us back a lot. We now have to have a sense of urgency and want to win these next couple of games, because these are really two important games for us. We need to settle down and focus."

Martin leads the team with eight double-doubles and averages of 15.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

The Wahine have fallen in line behind Martin and settled into their roles. Along with Vicky Tagalicod, junior wing Shawna Kuehu has found her comfort zone as a key contributor off the bench; the Punahou graduate is averaging 9.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in Big West games.

"Definitely doable," Kuehu said at a title run. "We’re a lot more comfortable here at home, playing in front of our fans."

UH has not won a conference regular-season title since 1997-98, when it went 13-1 in the Western Athletic Conference on the way to its most recent trip to the NCAA tournament.

UH pep band director Gwen Nakamura will be today’s honorary captain.

2-for-1 special offered

UH is offering a 2-for-1 ticket special for four of the five remaining women’s basketball home games, starting today. Pacific (Saturday), UC Riverside (March 7) and Cal State Fullerton ( March 9) are the others.

Those who purchase tickets at the Stan Sheriff Center box office will be offered an extra ticket at equal or lesser value for that same game.

Also, the first 100 female fans to enter the arena today will receive a Valentine’s Day carnation.