Men’s basketball begins this Saturday with six homestand games

HONOLULU — The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team plays the first of six straight home games on Saturday, December 14, when it hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the SimpliFi Arena in the Stan Sheriff Center.

The Rainbow Warriors went 0-2 on their first road trip and now return home where they have won 11 of their last 12 contests dating back to last year. The Bows will face a Corpus Christi program that has posted three straight 20-win seasons. Fans are encouraged to wear green and participate in the second annual Teddy Bear Toss by bringing a stuffed animal to the game. When the game is over and the ground is clear, all fans can throw their stuffed friend onto the field to be collected and donated to Toys for Tots.

ACTIONS

• Celebrate the holiday season by wearing all green for Saturday’s game against Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Be on your guard because a grumpy green guy may appear and ruin everything with Grinchmas for his own benefit.
• Be part of our second year Teddy bear throw by bringing a stuffed animal to the game. When the game is over and the ground is clear, all fans can throw their stuffed friend onto the field, where it will be collected and donated to Toys for Toys.
• First Hawaiian Bank will be the game’s sponsor and fans will have the chance to earn a gift card or t-shirt throughout the evening.

Head coach ERAN GANOTOverall record: 164-107 (11th season)
In Hawaii: 161-105 (10th season)

All-time series recordUH leads 1-0
In Honolulu: 1-0
Streak: UH, 1

GAME STORIES

• UH plays the first of six straight home games when it hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
• This will be only the second meeting ever between the two teams and the first in 22 years. UH won the first meeting in November 2002, 100-81.
• After starting the year with a 5-1 record at home, UH lost its last two games with road losses at Grand Canyon and Long Beach St.
• The Islanders have won five of their last six games but are 0-3 on the road, including losses at Purdue, New Mexico and New Mexico State.
• AMCC ranks third in the NCAA in bench points (41.0), ninth in FG% (.509) and 19th in 3FG% defense (.273).
• UHs Marcus Greene As a member of Houston Christian, he faced AMCC twice last year. He scored three points in the first meeting before scoring a career-high 30 points and six three-pointers in the second meeting.
• UH ranks 37th nationally in rebound margin (+7.8) and has been outrebounded just once in eight games this year.
• Gytis Nemeikšawho made his first start as a Rainbow Warrior at Long Beach State, leads the team with 14.0 ppg while adding 7.0 rpg.
• Following the game against Corpus Christi, UH will host the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, which opens Dec. 22 with Charlotte. Also in the field this year are Loyola Chicago, Murray State, Oregon State and 2024 NCAA Tournament squads Oakland, Nebraska and College of Charleston.

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