The Hawaii men's basketball team got a cold welcome on its longest road trip of the season.

Coach Bob Nash can only hope the eighth-place Rainbow Warriors (9-14, 2-8 Western Athletic Conference) heat up at 3 p.m. today at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La., against host Louisiana Tech (19-5, 7-3).

It snowed just about everywhere on the mainland yesterday, including the Pelican State. UH experienced a 2-hour delay leaving Honolulu on Thursday night because of the frigid conditions in Dallas. Thankfully for the Rainbows, they anticipated foul weather before their red-eye flight's arrival in Dallas and elected a 4-hour bus ride, instead of another risky flight to Shreveport, La.

“;The bus ride was long, but it wasn't unbearable,”; Nash said. “;I thought our guys tonight (in practice) were alert and alive after the long ride, and raring to go.”;

The 10 active Rainbows will have their work cut out for them against the Bulldogs, who've slipped from first to third in the WAC after dropping three of their last five.

LaTech defeated UH 65-60 in Honolulu last month in a winnable game for the 'Bows.

Center Magnum Rolle was a force in that contest, going for 23 points and 17 rebounds. He made up for an off night by star guard Kyle Gibson, who shot 5-for-19.

UH was already short-handed at guard that game, and is at critical alert in the backcourt now with Jeremy Lay done for the year with hernia surgery.

Point guard Hiram Thompson is the only reliable playmaker and ballhandler left, and he is less than 100 percent with a hurt left shoulder.

Thompson voiced confidence in an improved showing from UH's last game, a 61-51 loss to Fresno State in Honolulu, in which he attempted just one shot in 28 painful minutes.

“;I'm getting a lot better. My shoulder's feeling good, getting stronger,”; the team captain said before the trip. “;Still not all there, but I'm improving each day, so I think I'll be fine once I get out there.

“;Of course, the travel's going to be hard, and just try to get your rest while you're on the road. Try to get your legs back, stay off them kinda.”;

Heavy fullcourt pressure and zone defense are expected against the Rainbows, who've failed to hit better than 28.6 percent on 3-pointers in a game during their five-game skid.

“;Mentally, we got to think through the game,”; Nash said. “;We can't have any breakage. I mean, we're very thin in the backcourt, so everybody's got to be alert to help bring the ball up the floor. We can't turn the ball over and give them run-outs and all that kind of stuff. Everybody's got to be alert, can't sit back on our heels and we all got to get back in transition defense.”;

Keeping Rolle off the glass this time and putting a hand in Gibson's face are high priorities for UH. Gibson is third in WAC scoring at 21.3 points per game, while Rolle is 10th at 14.8, and third in WAC rebounding average at 9.0.

Nash said he'd run a tag-team of big men Paul Campbell, Douglas Kurtz and Ji Xiang at Rolle to try to put the 6-foot-11 senior off balance.

UH is banking that its 54-53 win in Ruston last season on Petras Balocka's tip-in at the buzzer will lend added confidence come game time.

“;I know we can beat them,”; said Campbell, who's seen his minutes decrease lately as Nash has looked to the two reserve bigs for production. “;We beat them here last year, we beat them at their place last year, we just gotta make sure we block them out, and just take advantage of the things we know we're good at, our offensive rebounding. Just make our free throws and take care of the easy (baskets).”;

Senior swingman Roderick Flemings leads UH with 15.4 ppg, eighth in the WAC.

He's averaged 19.4 points on 51 percent shooting from the field during the losing streak.

After today's game, UH heads back to Dallas and then to El Paso, Texas, to practice prior to Monday's contest at New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M.

Note

Tip-off was moved an hour ahead from the scheduled 4 p.m. HST start because the LaTech women's game was moved to tomorrow.