The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team wants to keep its momentum.

Fresno State wants to end its momentum.

Only one team will get its wish today when the Rainbow Warriors play the Bulldogs in a Western Athletic Conference game at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

It is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. (Hawai'i time), and will be broadcast on ESPN 1420 AM.

"This is the most important game for us right now," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "We put ourselves in a position to be near the top of the (WAC) standings, but if we don't take care of our business (today), we're back where we started."

Hawai'i is 11-12 overall and in fifth place in the WAC at 7-4. The 'Bows have won four of their last five games, and are just two games behind first-place Boise State.

Fresno State is 11-15 overall and in sixth place in the WAC at 4-8. The Bulldogs have lost five of their last six.

"We haven't been able to get a meaningful stop when we need a meaningful stop, or get a meaningful basket when we need to make one," Fresno State head coach Steve Cleveland said.

The 'Bows beat the Bulldogs, 75-62, last month in Honolulu.

"We didn't really have an answer for them at their place," Cleveland said. "We're going to have to play very well. We're going to have to play probably one of our best games in conference play if we expect to win."

Still, Hawai'i is not considered an overwhelming favorite. For starters, the 'Bows are 2-5 on the road this season, and the Bulldogs are 9-4 at home.

What's more, the 'Bows have traditionally struggled to find a discount on victories in the Save Mart Center. Hawai'i is 3-13 all-time in games played in Fresno, Calif., including 1-3 in the Save Mart Center.

Nash said he is also concerned about Fresno State's "dangerous" offense that relies on long-range shooting.

The Bulldogs lead the WAC with 8.3 3-pointers per game, and are averaging more than 24 3-point attempts per game. By comparison, Hawai'i is averaging 5.6 3-pointers in 16.5 attempts per game.

"We have to put pressure on their shooters, make sure they don't get clean looks," Nash said. "If you give any one of their guys a clean look, they'll hurt you. They're not afraid to shoot it from anywhere."

Nash is also concerned about Fresno State point guard Kevin Bell. The 5-foot-10 senior had 21 points and five assists in the loss at Hawai'i last month. Most of his points came on drives to the basket.

"He's small and quick, and our guards are a little bigger," Nash said. "So it goes back to team defense. If one of our guys gets beat, we need to have somebody else ready to back up. It's not about stopping one particular guy as it is stopping their team."

But the Bulldogs are just as concerned about Hawai'i's shooting ability. The 'Bows made nine 3-pointers to Fresno State's five in the victory last month.

"Hawai'i is a difficult matchup for a lot of people," Cleveland said. "They have a senior group that can really shoot it, and they play with intelligence."

Nash used his five starters — Matt Gibson, Riley Luettgerodt, Jared Dillinger, Bobby Nash and Bill Amis — almost exclusively in a 71-66 victory over Utah State last week. The starting group played the entire second half.

"Our guys have been playing long, hard minutes all year," Nash said. "It wasn't a hard trip as far as travel time, and we've been here since (Sunday), so we'll be ready."

The 'Bows will have senior forward P.J. Owsley available for limited minutes. He missed the last three games with an injured right knee.