Wallace pulls Sensley
from UH’s starting lineup
for UTEP game

The coach hopes the move will light
a fire under the junior, who has
struggled recently

Unlike its opponent tonight, the Hawaii basketball team didn't have to travel across the Pacific Ocean yesterday. But the Rainbow Warriors might still have some baggage to deal with heading into their game against Texas-El Paso.

UTEP vs. 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, adult); $5 (upper level, students); $3 (upper level, UH students); $5 (Super Rooter/Manoa Maniacs) Parking: $3

The Rainbows return to Western Athletic Conference play still smarting from their loss to Wisconsin-Milwaukee in an ESPN Bracket Busters game on Saturday. The nonconference game didn't hurt UH's standing in the WAC, and the Rainbows spent yesterday's practice working to put the disappointment behind them.

"A loss always hurts," UH guard Jake Sottos said. "You look on the bright side and it wasn't a WAC loss, but it was still a loss. After the game we were hanging our heads because we knew we fought hard and we wanted that game pretty bad. But we put it behind us and we now have to get focused on (UTEP)."

The Rainbows (14-8, 6-7 WAC) close a three-game homestand with tonight's game at the Stan Sheriff Center. Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m.

UH has lost three of its last four games, and to shake things up, UH coach Riley Wallace said he'll take forward Julian Sensley out of the starting lineup tonight.

Sensley has started all 55 games in his UH career. He averages close to 37 minutes per game and leads the team in scoring (13 points per game), rebounding (7.2 rpg) and assists (3.2 apg), but his production has dipped in recent games.

Though he's nursing a sprained right knee suffered Wednesday against Boise State, Sensley was able to play 37 minutes in Saturday's game, finishing with eight points and five rebounds. Wallace hopes the move to the bench lights a fire under the 6-foot-9 junior.

"He has superior talent, but he has to use it," Wallace said.

Center Chris Botez is slated to rejoin the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the last two games. Jeff Blackett and Bobby Nash remain at the forward spots with Sottos and Matt Gibson in the back court.

Gibson has caught fire during the Rainbows' homestand. He's made 16 of 22 shots from the field, including nine of 11 3-point attempts, in the last two games.

"I've been getting in the gym and working," Gibson said. "I wasn't shooting good, so the only way that's going to change is to get in the gym and shoot more."

Gibson's 6-for-6 performance on Saturday matched Sottos' 3-point barrage at UTEP last month. As a team, UH now leads the WAC in 3-point shooting at 36.1 percent.

But getting back on the winning track won't be easy against a UTEP team still in the hunt for the WAC regular-season championship. While Hawaii is fighting to stay out of a play-in game at next month's conference tournament, UTEP (20-7, 10-4) trails WAC leader Nevada by two games entering today's action.

The Miners flew in from California yesterday following a 73-66 loss at No. 19 Pacific in a Bracket Busters game that ended close to 11 p.m. West Coast time on Saturday.

They had an 8 a.m. wake-up call yesterday, arrived in Honolulu at 4 p.m., and practiced at the Sheriff Center last night. Of the Miners' last nine games, seven have been away from home.

"That part I don't understand, how we could be put in that situation. But that's the way it is and I'm not looking for excuses, because I can promise you Hawaii's going to be ready to play, so we'd better be ready to play," UTEP coach Doc Sadler said.

"If the flight was the hardest thing over here, we're in good shape. I'm afraid that's not going to be the hardest thing."

Last year, it was the Rainbows who endured an arduous trek from their Bracket Busters game at Southern Illinois to face the Miners in El Paso two days later.

UTEP won that game 71-62 and edged the Rainbows 71-70 on Jan. 20 on two free throws by forward Omar Thomas with 5.1 seconds left.

Thomas had 21 points and 12 rebounds against Pacific and ranks fifth in the WAC with 19.5 points per game. Guard Filiberto Rivera, Sottos' teammate at Southeastern (Iowa) Community College, is the conference's assist leader with 6.7 per game.