There’s still time to get some back.

The Hawaii basketball team can make up ground in the Big West Conference standings by stealing a game or two on the road this week. Fifth-place UH (18-9, 6-5 BWC) plays at second-place UC Irvine (14-10, 7-3) on Thursday and leader UC Davis (19-4, 9-1) on Saturday.

UH is just one back in the loss column from third- and fourth-place teams Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara with five regular-season games remaining before the Big West tournament in Anaheim, Calif. The ‘Bows won consecutive games at home over UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton last week — the first winning streak in 2015 for UH.

“We still like where we’re at in the league,” UH coach Benjy Taylor said. “We need to win some games (to make up for) some games that we gave away. We have a chance to do that now, and keep getting better. Our last seven games we’ve played good basketball. And I just want to continue to do that.”

UH departed for Los Angeles on Tuesday with its standard travel party, although at Monday’s light practice guard Isaac Fleming and forward Mike Thomas were still on crutches and each had protective boots around the ankles they sprained in the win over CSUF.

If UH is to spring an upset at either Irvine’s Bren Events Center or The Pavilion of Davis, it might have to do it a player or two light.

“I’m expecting to go 2-0, come back and win some more games,” said senior guard Garrett Nevels. “We got some people out, but other people still have to step up. We still got people on our roster that can play. They’ll be ready.”

UH listed Fleming, a freshman guard and UH’s highest-scoring reserve, as doubtful to play this week. Thomas, a sophomore center who hasn’t missed a game this season, was tabbed as probable. Sophomore forward Aaron Valdes, who missed his first game of the season against Fullerton with an ankle sprain, was still out on Monday but was walking normally and is probable to play going forward.

Valdes (team-highs of 14.2 points and 5.3 rebounds) said he could have played Saturday if it were a high-stakes game like in the Big West tournament. He’s looking forward to contributing again in this week’s potentially pivotal games.

“It’s the biggest games of the year for us,” Valdes said. “I know we say that a lot probably, but I really think these games are, especially with them being 1 and 2. We definitely gotta get both these wins.”

Irvine held off a Hawaii rally to win in Honolulu 78-72 on Jan. 24. UH topped Davis 84-76 in a testy game two days earlier at the Stan Sheriff Center in which the Aggies left the floor without shaking hands when objects were thrown by fans onto the court. That’s Davis’ only league loss.

UH hailed the unusual manner in which it won the Fullerton game by 20 — calling upon every active player on the roster and finishing with just six men available — as a major confidence-booster. Swingman Negus Webster-Chan responded with career-highs of 18 points and 6-for-12 3-point shooting. Backup guard Quincy Smith had one of his better games in a UH uniform. And reserves Niko Filipovich and Dyrbe Enos were called upon to finish things off.

“It’s big confidence for us. I know Negus hit his six 3s last game, you could see more confidence from him,” Valdes said. “Even Niko and Dyrbe, they’re going to be relied on too if we get in foul trouble … I think that helps their confidence. I just think it makes us more dangerous if we have everybody back by the Big West tourney, hopefully.”

The Rainbows are 2-3 in Big West road games this season.