Hawaii primed
for visit to LaTech

Warriors know a successful
inside game is a must

The home court hasn't been much of an advantage lately when Hawaii and Louisiana Tech have gotten together.

Hawaii at Louisiana Tech When: Tomorrow, 2:30 p.m. Hawaii time Where: Thomas Assembly Center TV: None Radio: Live, KKEA 1420-AM Internet: HawaiiAthletics.com

The visiting team has won the last three meetings between the teams, a streak the Rainbow Warriors would like to extend in tomorrow's Western Athletic Conference matchup in Ruston, La.

"We let one get away at home," UH forward Julian Sensley said, referring to Louisiana Tech's 61-59 win in Honolulu on Jan. 15. "So this is really big for us to try to get a win ourselves over here."

UH (13-5, 5-5 WAC) will seek its second consecutive win at the Thomas Assembly Center in the rematch tomorrow. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Hawaii time.

The run of road wins in the series began with UH's 67-60 victory in Ruston last year and continued with Louisiana Tech pulling out close wins in the Bulldogs' last two visits to the islands.

Last month's meeting -- decided by Wayne Powell's putback with 3.3 seconds left -- ended both Hawaii's 13-game home winning streak and a five-game skid for the Bulldogs. It also ignited LaTech (11-9, 6-5), which then won its next four games before losing at Nevada on Saturday.

"I'm not sure we could have turned this thing around without that win, looking back on it," LaTech coach Keith Richard said. "It really gave us a chance to stop the bleeding and get better. It was a big shot in the arm confidence-wise."

While the game sparked LaTech, it started UH on a three-game losing streak. The Rainbows have rebounded by winning their last three and enter the rematch looking to apply the lessons learned in that first meeting.

Louisiana Tech outrebounded UH 36-29 at the Stan Sheriff Center and crowded the paint by spending the entire game in a zone defense. The Rainbows responded by launching 25 3-pointers, matching their season high, and they were held scoreless in the final 3:55 of the game.

"They killed us on the boards, and they made us force a lot of bad shots we usually don't take," Sensley said. "We have to play real smart and be more aggressive. We have to play our game and not settle into what they want us to play."

UH posted one of its best shooting performances of the season in Saturday's 84-73 win at San Jose State when the Rainbows hit 57.7 percent of their attempts and a season-high 13 3-pointers.

Guards Jake Sottos and Matt Gibson knocked down five 3-pointers each against SJSU, but the loss to LaTech serves as a reminder that relying solely on perimeter scoring can be risky.

"We're not going to take the outside shot away from them because they're feeling pretty good about themselves now," UH coach Riley Wallace said. "But they know how we work it inside-out and that's what we have to do."

Forwards Powell and Paul Millsap continue to form the hub of Louisiana Tech's scheme on both ends of the floor. But the key to the Bulldogs' recent success has been improved play in the back court, led by senior guards Donell Allick, who scored 22 points against UH last month, and Corey Dean.

"We started getting more consistent guard play and Allick's game at Hawaii started that off," Richard said. "If we can get balanced scoring, then we're not a bad basketball team. We just hadn't had it consistently until this stretch. We've been waiting for it for a long time."

Millsap ranks among the nation's best with 19.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, while Powell averages 10.5 points and 6.4 rebounds.

While Millsap remains a focal point for opponents, greater production from the guards has taken some of the burden off his shoulders.

"His demeanor has improved dramatically since the Hawaii game and it's because it's not all on him," Richard said.

National stage: As far as the Rainbows are concerned, an early start is a small price for national coverage they'll receive in their Bracket Busters game on Feb. 19; especially considering the lengths the team went to the past two seasons.

UH's game against Wisconsin-Milwaukee at the Sheriff Center will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Tipoff for the game is 3 p.m.

The Rainbows ventured to the Midwest for their previous Bracket Busters appearances, so starting a bit earlier than usual is a relatively minor inconvenience.

"You do what you have to do get on (national television) because it helps your program and these kids play for that," Wallace said.

"(ESPN) likes us because we compete and I'm just hoping we can get a sellout that Saturday afternoon, get the students involved, and show them the real atmosphere of Hawaii basketball."

The game will be UH's second appearance on ESPN2 this season (the Jan. 1 game at Nevada was the first) and the first home game to be televised nationally since 1997.

The Rainbows played before packed houses at Kent State and Southern Illinois in the first two Bracket Busters events. This year's game is being billed as "Sellout Saturday" by the UH athletic department, with fans encouraged to wear green shirts to the game.

The UH-UWM game is among six Bracket Busters games on ESPN or ESPN2 that day. The other five games will be televised regionally.