GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Hawaii's Julian Sensley took a shot over Nevada's Kevinn Pinkney on Thursday.

Seniors can’t wait
to start winning

Jeff Blackett can't say he wasn't warned.

Last season, Blackett heard from some of his senior teammates how quickly their Hawaii basketball careers had flown by.

Fresno State at Hawaii When: Today, 7:05 p.m. Where: Stan Sheriff Center TV: Live, KFVE Radio: Live, KKEA 1420-AM Internet: HawaiiAthletics.com Tickets: $20 (lower level, single seats only); $15 (upper level, adults); $5 (upper level, students); $3 (upper level, UH students); $5 (Super Rooter/Manoa Maniacs) Parking: $3 Promotion: The first 3,000 fans receive a team photo.

Tonight, he and two other Rainbow Warrior seniors suddenly find themselves making their final appearances at the Stan Sheriff Center.

"It's unreal," Blackett said. "The guys last year were saying how fast it went by, and you don't know until you're in those shoes."

Blackett, forward Vaidotas Peciukas and guard Jake Sottos will be honored in tonight's senior night festivities following the Rainbows' regular-season finale against Fresno State at the Sheriff Center. Tipoff for the Western Athletic Conference contest is set for 7:05 p.m.

The Rainbows (14-12, 6-11 WAC) are looking to punctuate the regular season with a much-needed win to send the seniors out on a high note and lift the team's spirits heading into next week's WAC tournament.

UH has lost seven of eight, including a a five-game skid, the program's longest losing streak since the 1998-99 season.

The Rainbows' streak was extended with a 55-47 loss to No. 25 Nevada on Thursday. It was UH's lowest point output since losing to Oklahoma State 58-37 in 1998.

"The only thing we have left is senior night and to get ready for the WAC tournament, get a new streak going," Peciukas said yesterday following his final practice in UH's Gym II.

UH, which has won five straight senior night games, was on the wrong end of a senior celebration on Sunday when Rice partied its way to an 80-61 blowout. The Rainbows hope to follow the same script tonight and generate a bit of momentum before departing for Reno, Nev., tomorrow morning.

"That Rice game was not fun and they were having a blast," Sottos said. "If we can do that, that would be nice."

Peciukas is closing out a three-year career with the Rainbows. Blackett and Sottos are ending two-year runs at UH.

Blackett has been a steady member of UH's front line in his stint at Manoa, while Sottos unexpectedly emerged as one of the WAC's top 3-point shooters after entering the starting lineup midway through the season. Peciukas has been an energizer off the bench.

In addition to ending their basketball careers this month, all three are on track to earn their degrees. Blackett will graduate with a degree in finance in May and plans to return to Utah with his wife, Lindsey, this summer.

Peciukas and Sottos are working on sociology degrees. Peciukas could finish up this summer, while Sottos will be back in school next year to complete his requirements.

"All three of them will be college graduates -- that's special today," UH coach Riley Wallace said.

"Not one of them has caused even the smallest problem. They all had special parts of their game that fit what we do here. But more than anything else, the character they have is first and foremost."

Fresno State (15-12, 9-8) has won the last four meetings between the teams and arrived yesterday looking to spoil the party for the Rainbows. Like UH, the Bulldogs staggered down the stretch in the WAC season, and ended a three-game losing streak with a 74-55 win at San Jose State on Thursday.

"It was big because we hadn't been playing well the second half of conference play," Fresno State coach Ray Lopes said. "We really needed a win because the kids had been working hard. The three days of practice leading up to that game were three of the better days we've had all year long."

But the Bulldogs still have a cloud hanging over them as the school is investigating the eligibility of senior center Jack Marlow. The issue dates back to his brief stay at Oklahoma State early in his college career. Marlow sat out the last two games and didn't accompany the team on its road trip.

"We hope to have it cleared up by the time we get to the WAC tournament," Lopes said. "It's a day-by-day thing."

Wallace said he spoke to WAC officials yesterday and the Fresno State investigation won't impact the Rainbows' situation in the tournament.

UH enters today's game tied with Boise State for seventh place and could finish as low as ninth. There was a question whether the tournament seedings might be affected if Fresno State was forced to forfeit games.

"The (WAC) council would have to meet and make a decision and they can't do that before the tournament," Wallace said.

UH can finish seventh if they beat Fresno State and UTEP defeats Boise State today. If the Rainbows lose, they must hope for losses by BSU and Tulsa to avoid dropping in the standings.

The seventh seed plays 10th-place San Jose State in a first-round game at the WAC tournament on Tuesday and will be in the bracket opposite top seed and host Nevada. The eighth and ninth seeds play for the right to face the Wolf Pack in the quarterfinals next Thursday.