When you're weathering a five-game losing streak and searching desperately for the means to end it, the little things matter.

The reeling Hawaii men's basketball team is trying to regroup before its most difficult road trip of the season, in both distance and quality of opponents. UH (9-14, 2-8) departs for Ruston, La., tomorrow for Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech (19-5, 7-3), then treks to Las Cruces, N.M., for Monday's contest vs. Western Athletic Conference co-leader New Mexico State (15-8, 8-2).

Coach Bob Nash was upset about his team's lack of energy and effort after last week's loss to Fresno State. But he's seen enough signs of life over the past two days in practice to offer up some praise to his beleaguered troops.

“;Guys seemed to bounce back. Came in, worked hard,”; Nash said yesterday. “;So we're pleased with the effort that we got yesterday and today. Just hopefully it'll keep us prepared for a very, very good LaTech team as well as New Mexico State.”;

UH has experienced the gamut of losses over the past month: buzzer-beaters, blowouts and games decided at the free-throw line. Yet the Rainbow Warriors' top scorer, senior Roderick Flemings, won't allow his confidence to waver as he heads through his native Dallas for these road games.

Getting a win in Ruston, as the 'Bows did last year on a Petras Balocka tip-in at the buzzer, would apply pressure to Boise State (2-8) to keep pace with the Rainbows before their showdown in Boise on March 4, which could determine the last-place team in the WAC. That team will not qualify for the WAC tournament in Reno, Nev.

“;Overall, I'm hanging in there,”; said Flemings, who's averaged 19.4 points on 51.2 percent shooting over the losing streak, raising his scoring average to 15.4 per game. “;I'm ready for these last six (WAC) games. We should get most of these games. I feel like we can win all of them.”;

The Rainbows' 3-point shooting has fallen off dramatically, linked with the depth problems UH has dealt with in the backcourt for most of 2010. Guard Dwain Williams, the team leader in treys made at 31, missed his sixth straight game and is still indefinitely suspended. Over that span, UH has shot 20-for-87 (23.0 percent) from long range, well below its season average of 30.1. Over the five-game losing streak, the conversion rate fell to 11-for-63 (17.5 percent).

Part of the difficulties can be chalked up to Hiram Thompson—UH's best distance marksman in efficiency (42.6 percent on 3s)—dealing with the aftereffects of a dislocated left shoulder. He attempted just one shot vs. Fresno State at the start of the game and didn't look to score again.

However, there are positive signs on that front, too.

“;I think he's felt better every day,”; Nash said. “;Today I saw a lot of life in him, a lot of fire. He really played like Hiram of old. He didn't shy away from contact, made a driving left-hand layup. So he's getting better. We've purposely limited contact early on in practice. But there are some drills where we have to get contact in and he's worked extremely hard. He's one of those guys that if he can lay some up, if he can go out there and play, he's gonna do that. So that's what we've come to expect from him. He'll give great effort. Rod Flemings the last couple days has done a great job as well.”;

Johnson on mend

Arizona transfer Zane Johnson has been shooting with the team this week in practices, his most activity after having surgery in the preseason to repair his left knee.

The junior said he might be cleared for contact within another month—though that could be too late to help in practice with the 2009-10 Rainbows. Even had he been healthy, he would have had to sit out games this season with Duquesne transfer Aleksandar Milovic per NCAA rules.

“;I just want to be able to help the team now (in practices) so they can get out of this funk they're in,”; Johnson said. “;But next year, definitely learn the offense and just build a relationship with some of the guys that are gonna come back next year.

“;It was a new experience, and a tough experience, having to sit and not being able to do stuff in a straight-leg cast for two months,”; he said. “;Having to crutch around was tough. But I think it made me a better player, just 'cause I could watch and sit down and see a different perspective with things.”;