The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team will be carrying some heavy baggage when it departs for its first road trip of the season today.

Three-game losing streaks tend to weigh a team down.

But if all goes according to plan, the Rainbow Warriors want to return home with just one souvenir from Irvine, Calif. — a victory.

"We're not going there to lose," senior forward Petras Balocka said. "We lost three straight; we don't feel good about it. But I think if we can get this win on the road, it'll get us back on our feet."

Senior forward Roderick Flemings added: "When you're on the road, you realize that you have to rely on each other to get through it. There's no fans or anything like that. So maybe this will be good for us. We need to figure this thing out and get a win."

Hawai'i will play a road game at UC Irvine on Wednesday. It will be a one-game trip, and the only road game of the non-conference season for the 'Bows.

"We wanted to do just the one game," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "The guys have finals coming up so we didn't want them away from their classes for too long. But at the same time, we wanted the guys to get a feel for what it takes to travel and get them ready for what's to come in the (Western Athletic Conference)."

The 'Bows are scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles tonight, then charter a bus to Irvine. They will have all of tomorrow to acclimate and prepare for Wednesday's game.

"It's a short trip, easy enough where the travel shouldn't have an effect," Nash said.

The 'Bows are 2-3, and their three losses have all followed a similar script. Stay close in the first half, allow the opponent to make a run early in the second half, then stage a late — but ultimately futile — rally.

The 'Bows gave up a 17-0 run in the loss to Northern Colorado, a 13-0 run in the loss to Brigham Young, then a 14-0 run in the loss to New Mexico.

"We have to stop the second-half slumps," Balocka said. "We know if we play our game for the whole 40 minutes we'll be OK. It's just those few minutes in the second half that are costing us."

If there is any consolation, the three teams Hawai'i lost to have a combined record of 17-0.

"We talked about that," Nash said. "We just played three very good teams — teams that are undefeated and might have a little more in their arsenal than we do at this time."

UC Irvine is 3-3, and has several key returnees from last season. The Anteaters beat Hawai'i, 76-70, last season at the Stan Sheriff Center.

WILLIAMS PRACTICING, BUT WILL NOT TRAVEL

Dwain Williams, who is serving a two-game suspension for violating team rules, returned to practice yesterday for the first time in a week.

He sat out last Friday's loss to New Mexico and will not travel with the team to UC Irvine.

"He needs to take care of some things in the classroom," Nash said. "He missed some class time last week, so he has to make up for it."

Williams, who started the first four games of the season, is averaging 13.3 points per game.

The 'Bows will continue to be without post players Bill Amis (injured foot) and Douglas Kurtz (NCAA suspension).

Nash said Kurtz will travel with the team as a practice player. He is expected to make his season debut when the 'Bows return to the Stan Sheriff Center on Dec. 6 against Lamar.

"As we get Douglas back, and then put Dwain back in the fold, and see what happens with Bill in a couple of weeks, then we can make some inroads," Nash said. "But until those guys come back, we have to mix and match and make do with whoever is available."