LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Early to rise, early to lead.

That's the plan for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team today when it takes on Boise State in a quarterfinal game of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

It is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. (Hawai'i time) at the Pan American Center, and will be broadcast live on KFVE television and ESPN 1420 AM radio.

"It's going to be a morning game, so we need to wake up and come out with a sense of urgency from the start," Hawai'i senior guard Riley Luettgerodt said. "If we can come out and get a lead on them, we can control the pace rather than the other way around."

The 'Bows are 11-18 overall and on a six-game losing streak. They have a 7-9 WAC record and are the No. 5 seed for the tournament.

The Broncos are 22-8 overall and the No. 4 seed at 12-4. They swept the home-and-home series with Hawai'i during the regular season.

In an effort to keep pace with the high-scoring Broncos, the 'Bows want to create their version of a morning traffic jam on the court.

"We need to slow the pace down," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "We want to work our offense, grind things out, take good shots. We need to make them guard us a little longer, because they like to get out in transition and score quickly.

"We're not going to stop them completely, but we want to make it difficult for them — take them out of their game."

Matt Gibson, Hawai'i's starting point guard and leading scorer, did not practice yesterday because he was suffering from flu-like symptoms.

Nash said he expects Gibson to be ready for today's game.

"It's a precautionary thing," Nash said. "We didn't want it to spread throughout the team, so we let him stay back and rest."

Gibson is averaging 17.0 points and 5.0 assists per game, and leads the WAC with 1.9 steals per game. Sick or not, he has the attention of the Broncos.

"I think we have to keep Matt under control," Boise State head coach Greg Graham said.

Gibson scored 26 and 17 points, respectively, in the two games against Boise State this season.

But Graham is aware that the key to today's game could be the performance of Hawai'i's other shooters — Bobby Nash, Riley Luettgerodt and Jared Dillinger.

"The thing that's scary about them is they got four or five guys that can go for 20 points on a given night," Graham said. "The key is to not let a couple guys do that."

Hawai'i has similar concerns about Boise State's personnel. The Broncos average a WAC-best 81.0 points per game, and all five starters average at least 8.8 points per game.

"They have that inside-outside game, and they can put five really good players on the floor," Luettgerodt said. "We have to be at our best defensively."

The Broncos' inside duo of 6-9 Matt Nelson and 6-6 Reggie Larry is particularly effective.

Nelson had 18 points and 12 rebounds in a 95-80 victory over Hawai'i on Jan. 24 in Boise, Idaho. Larry had 23 points and 10 rebounds in a 78-71 win over the 'Bows on March 1 in Honolulu.

But like Hawai'i, the Broncos enter the WAC Tournament off a disappointing loss. Boise State lost its home finale to Utah State last week. As a result, the Broncos dropped from the potential No. 1 seed to No. 4.

"We got a share of the title, and that was most important for the guys," Graham said of being a part of the four-way tie for first place.

The 'Bows are coming off their worst loss of the season, 106-71 at New Mexico State. They have been in Las Cruces ever since that loss on Saturday.

"That was so long ago," Dillinger said. "We're not thinking about that game, we're looking at Boise State."

If anything, the 'Bows are acclimated to Las Cruces, and know what it's like to play in the Pan American Center.

"I actually like the gym," Luettgerodt said. "The lighting is a little weird, but it's a good place to play."

Despite it being a No. 4 against a No. 5 game, the 'Bows are considered underdogs. Las Vegas casinos are listing Boise State as a nine-point favorite.

"No one is expecting us to do anything here except ourselves," Luettgerodt said. "All us seniors, we want to make a run right here. We're going to play like there's no tomorrow."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.