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Some people count sheep to fall asleep. Hawaii coach Eran Ganot stays awake counting bunnies.
Missed bunnies, as it were.
“We ended up having, I think, 10 missed layups,” Ganot said Tuesday of the Rainbow Warriors’ 76-70 loss to UC Davis on Saturday. “And obviously I think it’s a different game if we make some of those.”
UH (8-10, 2-3 Big West) resolved anew to finish a higher percentage of shots around the rim when it takes on UC Riverside (5-11, 3-2) tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The Highlanders arrive packing little flash but boast a three-game winning streak that’s vaulted them to third place in the standings. UH is 2-1 in its past three, all games that went down to the final minute.
“This week we’re focusing on ways to not have to put us in those situations,” point guard Brocke Stepteau said. “It just comes down to doing the little things the whole game.”
Chasing those bunnies into the hole ranks up there. Even before the Davis game, Ganot groused, half-jokingly, that his team misses more point-blank shots than anyone in the country. On Tuesday, UH went through one of its regular practice drills in which its big men line up to finish inside while graduate manager Zane Johnson swipes at them with a padded arm extension.
“It’s tough,” Stepteau said, “because a lot of times we’re finishing these layups in practice, but then we get in the games, but then there’s guys like No. 11 on Davis (Chima Moneke) who are so athletic you can’t simulate that in practice with our team. But I think the biggest thing is just concentrating. Every guy has proven they can finish around the rim when they go up with confidence.”
UH’s execution of its sets against Davis was generally good, yielding a bounty of open shots inside. Finishing them all was another matter.
Assistant coach Chris Acker observed some rushed attempts.
“They’ve been shooting layups their whole lives,” Acker said. “We’ll continue to make it a point of emphasis in our workouts and hold them accountable in practice. Ultimately they just have to relax, take their time and finish through.”
Wing Noah Allen has been UH’s best finisher, becoming the first UH player to top 25 points in three straight games since Michael Kuebler in 2003-04. It’s hiked Allen’s scoring average to 13.2.
Riverside, which began the season 1-9, has been a tough group to score against in BWC play. It’s held opponents to 63.5 points and 36.2 percent shooting over the past six games.
Coach Dennis Cutts is searching for a combination that works; Riverside has started 10 different players. But over the Highlanders’ streak, he thinks he may have found something. Five players scored in double figures in a 65-55 win over UC Santa Barbara on Saturday.
Last Feb. 25, the Highlanders rolled into the Sheriff and stunned Hawaii for their first road win in the series, 77-71. UCR has four active players back who saw action, most notably forward Secean Johnson (11.3 ppg).
“I’m sure it helps a little bit for some of our guys who are on the floor last year,” said Cutts, who had a dustup with former UH point guard Roderick Bobbitt in the postgame handshake line. “Some were not, so they’ll have to lean on some other guys.”
Guard DJ Sylvester, who had 18 points off the bench here, went down with a back injury in November and is likely out for the season.
“R-Side,” as it’s been alternately branded, is missing some star power now that Jaylen Bland and Taylor Johns are departed. It’s missed Bland in particular; he departed as the Highlanders’ career 3-point leader at 213.
“Last year they were definitely different for us, because they ran through Bland,” Acker said. “(Now) they’re doing it by committee, and they try to find mismatches.”
Cutts said, “It is good and bad. It’s a little more freedom for them on the floor, and they’re embracing it right now, which is speaking to the better numbers.”
Hawaii and Riverside meet again in eight days at Riverside’s SRC Arena.
UH BASKETBALL TIPOFF
at Stan Sheriff Center
UC Riverside (5-11, 3-2 Big West at Hawaii (8-10, 2-3), 7 p.m.
TV: OC Sports
Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM
Series: UH leads 7-3
Projected starting lineups
UC Riverside
G 11 Malik Thames 6-2 165 Sr.
G 3 Chance Murray 6-3 195 Jr.
F 20 Secean Johnson 6-5 215 Sr.
F 40 James Jackson 6-8 240 Jr.
F 21 Alex Larsson 6-10 250 Jr.
When UCR has the ball
Does Riverside employ balanced scoring or is it just offensively challenged? The Highlanders think they’ve grown into the former. UCR’s guards like to drive aggressively around ball screens for dribble penetration. They are more unpredictable now that top option Jaylen Bland is departed; Thames, Murray, and reserves Gentrey Thomas and Dikymbe Martin are allowed to freelance.
Hawaii
Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl.
PG 23 Brocke Stepteau 5-9 160 So.
SG 0 Leland Green 6-2 175 Fr.
SF 32 Noah Allen 6-7 215 Sr.
PF 12 Jack Purchase 6-8 200 So.
PF 21 Gibson Johnson 6-8 220 Jr.
When UH has the ball
Allen has been exceptionally aggressive seeking out contact of late, getting to the line 27 times in the last three games and converting 22. In the previous 15 games, he was 23-for-31 at the line. Guard Sheriff Drammeh came off the bench for the first time this season against UC Davis, recording eight points in 24 minutes. He figures to remain in that role for the time being.
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