When Hawaii and UC Riverside meet up tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center, some re-introductions are in order.

They last met at Riverside’s SRC Arena on Jan. 14. Thanks to a strong first half and resolve down the stretch, UH prevailed 80-71, the first of the Rainbow Warriors’ record six straight conference road wins.

UH did it that time without Aaron Valdes (turf toe) and with point guard Roderick Bobbitt coming off the bench after flying up separately to meet the team that same morning due to academic reasons.

Meanwhile, UCR’s preseason all-conference forward Taylor Johns was dismissed from the team by coach Dennis Cutts last week for team rules reasons.

“A lot’s changed in six weeks for both teams,” UH coach Eran Ganot said.

Their paths have most definitely diverged.

First-place UH (22-3, 11-1 BWC) is riding a six-game winning streak and can better last season’s win total today, while drawing closer to the program-record 27 victories set during the increasingly cited NCAA Tournament season of 2001-02.

The Rainbows are finally fully healthy and were brimming with confidence at practice Wednesday with Saturday’s 75-71 road win at UC Irvine still fresh on their minds.

Meanwhile, it’s been a see-saw season for Riverside (13-15, 4-8). The Highlanders posted the most wins in their Division I nonconference history; dropped their first three conference games; rallied to 4-4; then lost four straight, all at home.

“We thought we were poised to move up to the middle of this league, (have a) strong hold on it, and we just missed some opportunities there,” Cutts said. “It kind of got away from us.”

Johns, UCR’s explosive big man, was the second-leading rebounder and third-leading scorer in program history, and was having another fine statistical season at 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He made the Big West first team last year.

“It was team rules, and athletic department policy,” Cutts said. “The standards of the program we think are really important. He had the suspension earlier in the year, that I had hoped would change a direction. But we have moved on from (it). Just something again that, the standard for the program, what I think most programs should have. Maybe, maybe not. But we do. It’s unfortunate, with the way his career has to come to an end. But again there’s a bigger picture with what we do and how we do it. The decision was made and we’re moving forward.”

Junior wing Secean Johnson (11.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg) has been the Highlanders’ biggest beneficiary of Johns’ absence. Johnson is coming off a 21-point, 10-rebound effort in a 10-point loss to UC Santa Barbara.

Senior guard Jaylen Bland (16.3 ppg, 41.3 percent 3FG) is still the primary threat and is UCR’s new career 3s leader, having made 195 in his two seasons. His next make will give him sole possession of the single-season record (he’s tied at 100) as well.

Johnson and Bland combined to score 43 points against UH last time.

“Obviously they’ve got a lot more than Taylor Johns, they have a lot of weapons, we’ll have our hands full but we’re looking forward to it,” Ganot said.

Cutts is hopeful his team can reprise some of the better ball movement it showcased during Johns’ early-season suspension. In that sense, he might try to take a page or two out of UH’s playbook.

“The more I watch them, the more impressed I get,” Cutts said. “(Last time) we turned it over entirely too much and let them get out in the open floor and make the plays that they’re very capable of making. We gotta take care of it, first and foremost. That’ll be our No. 1 key.”

During UH’s winning streak, Ganot has succeeded at cultivating a little more depth. Freshman guard Sheriff Drammeh has made the most of his minutes while sixth man Isaac Fleming was out with an ankle injury, and even got the nod for much of the last road trip with Fleming healthy again.

A few times a game, Drammeh will take a charge or hit the floor trying.

“I’m just trying to do whatever I can do with the minutes I play. I’m just trying to do as much as I can,” the freshman from Sweden said. “(Taking charges) is how I know I’m going to get more minutes. We need stops like that. And I’m willing to take it, since I was young. That’s just what I do, basically.”

The Rainbows solidified their hold on first Wednesday night without playing a game. UC Irvine, which UH already swept, routed Long Beach State 90-67 in a battle of second-place teams. LBSU dealt UH its only conference loss.

UH closes its home schedule Saturday against Cal State Northridge. If the Rainbows win both home games, they’ll secure at least a share of the Big West regular-season title and clinch an NIT berth should they fail to win the upcoming Big West tournament in Anaheim, Calif.