Hawaii didn’t have long to get off the deck and scramble its players to face Air Force.

The Rainbow Warriors went from thinking their season was over to preparing furiously for the Falcons over the past 48 hours. The former Western Athletic Conference opponents meet today in a first-round game of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

Gib Arnold’s team will try to end a season-worst three-game slide, which includes a loss on senior night and a defeat in the Big West tournament first round.

"We see it as a huge opportunity, a second chance," freshman forward Isaac Fotu said. "We all thought our season was done, but apparently we got invited to the CIT. I think it’s good for the home fans and good for us as well, to get more basketball in and get more wins for our season."

Air Force (17-13), too, is embracing the opportunity despite some disappointment in not being selected for the NIT.

"We’ve done a lot of good things. We’re still playing," first-year Falcons coach Dave Pilipovich said. "There’s a lot of teams now that have put the uniforms in the storage room and put the balls (away). We’re still playing. Survive and advance, as they say. It’s a great trip for us to come to Hawaii and play there."

The Falcons are holding formation without their flight leader. Senior guard Michael Lyons (17.7 ppg), a first-team All-Mountain West selection, went down with a season-ending knee injury in a 72-56 loss to UNLV in their league quarterfinals.

In the last meeting of the programs, UH defeated Air Force 87-63 in 1997 before the Falcons broke away to the Mountain West.

The Mountain West has become a college hoops power in the years since. The league is rated the top RPI conference in the country, thanks to elite teams like New Mexico and UNLV. Those are two teams the Falcons beat this season en route to a sixth-place finish at 8-8, albeit with Lyons. They are 3-10 on the road overall.

It’s only the seventh postseason appearance in the service academy’s history. Air Force, based near Colorado Springs, Colo., flew through Dallas to get to the islands.

It is UH’s second appearance in the pay-for-play CIT in the past three years. Arnold’s first UH team went 1-1 in the event in two home appearances in 2011. This time, the field is 32 teams.

This classic matchup of former WAC foes offers a true contrast in styles, much like UH’s duels with several of the smaller, quicker teams around the Big West.

Any player up and down the Air Force roster can fire from long range. The Falcons average 8.4 3-pointers per game on a 38.2 percent conversion rate. Even 6-foot-10 starting center Taylor Broekhuis must be respected from outside.

Air Force has no double-digit scorers after Lyons, but three all-around starters in forward Mike Fitzgerald (9.7 ppg), point guard Todd Fletcher (9.6) and Broekhuis (8.2).

Once they start hitting 3s, the Falcons become more dangerous against overplaying teams by burning them with backdoor cuts.

"They’re not slow-down Princeton. They’re Princeton on steroids," UH associate head coach Benjy Taylor said. "We’re going back to the basics of playing hard-nosed man-to-man. Sit down and guard them. One thing we can do is contest their shots. Contest their cuts. It’ll be a big challenge, but the kids are excited about it."

UH has struggled all season with perimeter defense, but especially in league play. The ‘Bows were last in 3-point field-goal defense at .394.

The ‘Bows could get a boost in this regard with a return to action by junior guard Brandon Spearman. Spearman missed the past five games with a sprained ankle, though he suited up during UH’s 71-60 loss to UC Irvine in the Big West tournament last week.

"I’m going to try to go out there and give it my all," Spearman said. "Eighty percent, 90 percent, 100 percent, doesn’t matter. I’m going to be out there playing for my team."

UH could hurt Air Force inside. No Falcons player grabs more than 3.9 rebounds per game. In contrast, UH big men Vander Joaquim, Christian Standhardinger and Fotu average 6.1 or more.

Hawaii seniors Joaquim, Jace Tavita and Hauns Brereton get one more chance for a win at home — then maybe another. If UH wins this game, it likely would host a second-round game on Friday or Saturday.

The ‘Bows are 11-13 all-time in postseason games.

The game will be televised by OC Sports if UH reaches 6,500 tickets sold. A decision will be made today.