Tough test awaits M. Hoops in Hawaii

HONOLULU ƒ_" Penn comes into the Stan Sheriff Center here riding three straight losses, a 16-day layoff and the hangover from one long airline flight.

And when the Quakers (3-4) take the floor on Thursday, they will be hungry to get back on the winning side of things. How easy will that be against a team that already boasts wins over No. 9 Michigan State and UNLV? Given how Penn has played in its past two games against top-five opponents, a win is within reach in its first trip to the 50th state since 1974.

Hawaii (7-3, 1-0 WAC) comes in anything but confident after struggling to put away winless North Carolina A&T Tuesday night. The Rainbow Warriors were tied at the half and finally put together a brief spurt in the final 10 minutes to wrap up a 66-60 win.

A physical and disorderly second half saw Hawaii extend its lead to as many as 13 on a three-pointer by Sensley with four minutes to play. But the Aggies (0-9) cut it to just four with 20 seconds left.

Neither team demonstrated much on the defensive end. Hawaii allowed plenty of wide open layups and failed to pressure the ball when N.C. A&T set up in its half-court offense. This could be an opening for the Quakers if they are able to control the tempo.

In its previous two outings, Penn held top-ranked Duke and No. 3 Villanova below their season averages. Hawaii averages 70.3 per contest, while the Quakers allow 67.4. And watching the perimeter will not be much of a priority, as the Rainbow Warriors lack any kind of outside threat, shooting just 28.9 percent from beyond the arc on the season. Tuesday they shot 5-of-22 from three for 22 percent. Most of Hawaii's offense comes from its big men inside, which Penn has shown it can control in its previous three outings.

While the 'Bows can score early and often, their defense and ball control are somewhat suspect. Hawaii turned the ball over a season-high 21 times against the Aggies, in what was a sloppy, up-and-down contest.

Plus, fatigue may be a factor for the Hawaii squad which has been battling injuries over the past two weeks in which it has played five games (four wins). Over that stretch, Hawaii has been playing with a short bench with three scholarship players out. Forward Juilan Sensley returned Tuesday after missing his first game in 70. Against N.C. A&T, the 6-foot-9 Sensley led the 'Bows with 18 points on 7-of-18 shooting. The native of Kailua, Hawaii averages a team-best 16.5 points per game. Senior forward "Big Matt" Gipson (see below) recorded a double-double with 13 points and rebounds Tuesday.

For the Quakers, junior forward Steve Danley will return after missing the Villanova game with a concussion suffered Dec. 7 against Duke. The addition of Danley should give coach Fran Dunphy the starting lineup he has been waiting for all season.

Only time will tell now how well the Quakers, who made the trip Tuesday, can manage the distractions that come from the 5,000-mile flight, not to mention the 80-degree weather, pristine beaches of Waikiki and five-hour time change. After Hawaii, Penn will take on Divison-II BYU-Hawaii on Dec. 31 at 5 p.m. local time (10 p.m. Eastern).

NOTES: This is Penn's first ever game against the Western Athletic Conference. It is the Quakers second game ever outside the continental United States. The other two: 1974 Rainbow Classic here and the 1997 San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. The Quakers are 2-4 in games away from the Mainland. Hawaii is coming off a third-place finish at its 42nd annual Rainbow Classic. The win over N.C. A&T improved the Warriors to 22-20 following the tournament. Hawaii has also won 34 of its last 38 non-conference home games.

SO, WHAT'S WITH THE MATTS? Hawaii list two players on its roster with nearly the same name. It's merely a conicidence. Matthew Gipson, a 6-9 senior forward, is dubbed "Big Matt" by the team and is from Burkburnett, Texas, while Matt Gibson, a 6-5 junior guard called "Little Matt" hails from Oklahoma City. This should cause minimal confusion for Penn fans, as "Little Matt" is expected to miss Thursday's game with a staph infection.

Penn (3-4) at Hawaii (7-3) from Honolulu Thursday, 7 p.m. Hawaiian, Midnight Eastern Live updates available on dailypennsylvanian.com

Projected Starters: PENN G ƒ_" Ibrahim Jaaber, Jr.; 18.9 ppg G ƒ_" David Whitehurst, So.; 8.0 ppg G ƒ_" Eric Osmundson, Sr.; 7.4 ppg F ƒ_" Steve Danley, Jr.; 9.8 ppg F- Mark Zoller, Jr.; 9.3 ppg

HAWAII G ƒ_" Deonte Tatum, Sr.; 6.6 ppg G ƒ_" Matt Lojeski, Jr.; 13.4 ppg F ƒ_" Julian Sensley, Sr.; 16.5 ppg F ƒ_" "Big Matt" Gipson, Sr.; 8.2 ppg C ƒ_" Ahmet Gueye, Jr.; 14.4 ppg

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