LOGAN, Utah — On "Big Monday," the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team wants to show a national television audience just how big its heart is.

The Rainbow Warriors will try to rebound from their biggest loss of the season when they play a Western Athletic Conference game against Utah State today.

The game will start at 7 p.m. (10 p.m. Mountain Time) because it will be televised live on ESPN2.

"Our confidence is a little shocked right now," Hawai'i senior co-captain Julian Sensley said. "We just played a really bad game, and we had to travel to come here. But that gives us a chance to prove what we're made of. It's 'Big Monday' so it's a big deal to us."

The 'Bows lost at Nevada, 73-55, on Saturday to drop to 10-7 overall and into a tie for fourth place in the WAC at 4-3. The Aggies are 14-4 overall and in second place in the conference at 5-2.

"Conditioning is such a key on the road, especially in altitude like (Reno and Logan)," Hawai'i coach Riley Wallace said. "We let it affect us against Nevada. We can't do it again."

The 'Bows traveled from Reno to Logan yesterday morning, and were greeted by 30-degree weather and fresh-piled snow. But Wallace used the poor performance at Nevada as a way to warm up his players at last night's practice.

"A game like that has to fire you up," he said of Saturday's loss. "If you're a good team, you want to come back from something like that and show it was a fluke."

But just like in Reno, the odds will be stacked against Hawai'i in Logan.

For starters, the 'Bows are 0-5 on the road this season, and have lost 19 of their past 21 road games. Utah State, which is in its first season in the WAC, also happens to be one of the best home teams in the country. The Aggies have won 13 consecutive games in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, including a 10-0 home record this season.

Since Stew Morrill became head coach at Utah State in the 1998-99 season, the Aggies are 108-9 at home.

"I think it's a combination of a lot of things," Utah State senior forward Nate Harris said. "We have a good arena, we always get a good crowd, and the travel is difficult for teams coming in here."

However, one of the few teams to leave Logan with a victory in recent years is Hawai'i. The 'Bows beat Utah State, 85-74, in a first-round NIT game in 2004.

"We did it before, so we know we can do it again," said Sensley, who was a starter as a sophomore on that team. "And we already beat them at home, so I think we match up well with them. We might even get some mismatches because we're a little bigger."

The 'Bows beat the Aggies, 69-59, in the WAC opener Dec. 17 at the Stan Sheriff Center. It is the only time this season that Utah State has lost by double-digits.

"They have our number right now," Harris said. "That was our first game in the WAC, and Hawai'i really showed us what it's all about. They were real physical with us, kind of pushed us around."

Since then, Utah State has won 10 of 11 games, while Hawai'i has gone 6-4.

The Aggies feature one of the WAC's best inside-out combinations in Harris and guard Jaycee Carroll. Harris, a 6-foot-7 power forward, is averaging 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, and leads the WAC with a 62.2 field-goal percentage.

Carroll, a 6-2 sophomore, is averaging 17.1 points per game and has made 51 3-pointers this season. He also leads the WAC with a 45.5 percentage from 3-point range.

"Those are the two main guys, but they have some support around them," Wallace said. "They're a smart team, so you really have to be on your toes defensively."

The Aggies lead the WAC in several key categories, including most points per game (74.2), fewest points allowed per game (62.5), and field-goal percentage (50.5).

NOTES

Hawai'i senior point guard Deonte Tatum practiced last night with a sprained right ankle. He sustained the injury in the second half of the loss at Nevada.

"He was limping around a little bit, so we'll watch him," Wallace said.

Freshmen Hiram Thompson and Dominic Waters are expected to relieve Tatum tonight.

The Dee Glen Smith Spectrum has a capacity of 10,270, but it is not expected to be filled tonight because of the late weeknight start. "That's better for us," Wallace said. "Plus, that's the time we usually play our games back home, so maybe that will help, too."

Hawai'i shooting guard Matt Lojeski and forward/center Ahmet Gueye were both heavily recruited by Utah State before signing with Hawai'i last summer. Gueye played at nearby Salt Lake Community College last season.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.