The Hawaii basketball team is seeking a heroic return when it plays host to UC Irvine on Wednesday.
For the matchup that is dubbed “Super Hero Night” — fans are encouraged to dress as their favorite crime fighters — the Rainbow Warriors wish to reclaim the power of defending 3-point shots.
In 14 nonconference games, the ’Bows held opponents to 30.4 percent shooting from behind the 3-point stripe. In three Big West games, opponents hit 43.8 percent of their 3s.
“That’s got to be an emphasis, getting back to defending the 3-point line like we had been doing all year,” said assistant coach John Montgomery, who is viewed as the ’Bows’ defensive coordinator. “So far in the league, that’s slipped up, and that’s been hurting us. That’s one of the biggest things we have to get back to.”
In UH’s first two Big West games, both victories, Cal State Fullerton hit 61.5 percent of its 3s in the second half, and Cal State Northridge guard Terrell Gomez was 7-for-12 on 3s. On Saturday, UC Riverside hit 13 of 25 3-point shots in a win, including guard Dragan Elkaz’s seven of 10. Elkaz, who finished with 25 points, entered averaging 7.7.
Against Riverside, the ’Bows’ shot accurately, controlled the boards, and committed only one turnover in the second half.
“But we didn’t defend well enough,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “And they shot the ball extremely well. We have work to do. And (perimeter defense), obviously, was the biggest anomaly of that game.”
The ’Bows, who did not practice during Sunday’s travel day, spent Monday reviewing videos, working on defensive coverages and preparing for UC Irvine.
“We watched the second half (of the Riverside game), our defensive clips, and we had breakdowns in our principles that led to some of those shots they hit,” guard Brocke Stepteau said. “When you give up some easy ones, that can give the other team a rhythm, and they start hitting tougher shots. If we could have controlled some of our breakdowns, it could have helped them not feel so comfortable down the stretch when they were hitting some big, tough shots. We talked about that, and we’re going to work on that. All fixable.”
Guard Drew Buggs described UH’s problem as a combination of defensive lapses and Riverside’s confident shooting.
“There were instances when we played really good defense, and they hit tough shots,” Buggs said. “That’s how it is when teams play on the road, and home teams have a good feel on their court. It was a combination. There were some things we couldn’t control, but we also need to improve on the things on the defensive end.”
The ’Bows also are hopeful for a bounce-back game from guard Eddie Stansberry. On Thursday against CSUN, Stansberry scored 25 points to boost his average as a starter to 17.0 points. But he missed six of seven shots, including all five 3-point attempts, against Riverside.
“Shots weren’t falling,” Stansberry said. “As I was playing, I was trying to find a rhythm. But a rhythm wasn’t to be found. It was tough for me in that game to get a good shot off. You’re going to have nights like that. The performance against CSUN was a good night. Everybody would like to have a night like that. But Saturday, it just wasn’t the same kind of game. I have to tell myself that’s part of the game. You’re going to have good games. You’re going to have bad games. It’s just moving forward.”
HAWAII MEN’S BASKETBALL
Wednesday, 7 p.m., Stan Sheriff Center
>> Hawaii (11-6, 2-1 Big West) vs. UC Irvine (15-5, 3-1)
>> TV: Spectrum Sports
>> Radio: KKEA, 1420 AM
