UC San Diego has lost two of three games and they host a hot Hawaii team in a Big West matchup.
Hawaii is riding a six-game win streak and they are one of three teams that are 2-0 in Big West play. They are 11-3, overall, and while not a high scoring team they are on the best defensive teams in the nation only giving up an average of 59.7 ppg.
UC San Diego has lost two of their last three and four of their last six games. They are 1-1 in Big West play and with a loss in their last game fell to two games under .500 (6-8) on the season. The Tritons come into this game as a 5.5-point favorite with the total sitting at 126.5. last season UCSD lost to Hawaii twice.
Hawaii was at home in their last game in a 57-48 win over Cal Poly where they outscored the Mustangs 24-7 from the free throw line. The free throws were needed as the Rainbow Warriors only shot 37.2% from the floor missing 10 of their 11 3-pointers and they held Cal Poly to 40.8% shooting. Three starters for Hawaii scored 12 points and while Kamaka Hepa was 4-9 from the floor JoVon McClanahan and Noel Coleman were a combined 6-20 and they combined to miss all six 3-pointers. The Rainbow Warriors failed to cover as a 10.5-point favorite and they have failed to cover the spread in two of their last three games.
Coleman (13.9 ppg) is one of two players for Hawaii that that are averaging in double figures and he has really struggled with his shot in the last two games where he shot 20% from the floor in each totaling 19 points. Hepa (11.3 ppg) had three poor shooting games in a row totaling 15 points before going for 12 points on 44.4% shooting in the last game. Bernardo da Silva (9.1 ppg 6.6 rpg) is the team’s leading rebounder and he only had five points and five rebounds in the last game after a double-double (12 points 10 rebounds) in the previous game. This game will be the Rainbow Warriors first road game of the season.