The good thing about this time of year is you can exchange the bad stuff for something better.

That's what the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team will try to do today when it hosts Saint Mary's on the final day of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

The Rainbow Warriors and Gaels will meet for third place at 2:30 p.m. in the Stan Sheriff Center. The championship game between UNLV and USC will follow around 4:30 p.m.

Both games will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

"Of course, we wanted to win the tournament," Hawai'i point guard and team captain Hiram Thompson said. "But we can't do that now, so getting two wins and beating a really good team like Saint Mary's would be awesome."

The 'Bows may have to do it without leading scorer Roderick Flemings, who has a bruised knee.

Flemings, who is averaging 15.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, was not able to practice yesterday. His availability will be a game-time decision, according to head coach Bob Nash.

"We'll see how he feels (today)," Nash said. "I don't think it's anything serious, but if he's not able to go, the other guys will have to step up to fill in."

The 'Bows are 6-5 overall and 1-1 in the tournament. Their dreams of winning the inaugural Diamond Head Classic were crushed in a 77-53 loss to UNLV in the semifinals on Wednesday.

Flemings was injured in the second half of the loss. Thompson also left the game in the second half after falling and hitting his head on the court, but he has been cleared to play.

UNLV dominated virtually every phase of the game, and the end result was one of the worst losses by a Hawai'i team in the Stan Sheriff Center. The last time a Hawai'i team lost by more than 24 points at home was in 1998.

"We just played out of character from the start and never got into it," Nash said. "We want to learn from it, but at the same time, we have to look forward because there's a good Saint Mary's team we have to play."

The Gaels are 10-2. Like Hawai'i, Saint Mary's is coming off its worst performance of the season. USC defeated the Gaels 61-49 in the semifinals.

"They're a really good team," Thompson said of the Gaels. "We know this would be a big win for us."

Despite its last performance against USC, Saint Mary's has one of the best offenses in the nation. The Gaels are averaging 81.4 points per game with a unique blend of inside-outside balance.

The top player is Omar Samhan, a 6-foot-11 center who is averaging 20.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Ben Allen, a 6-11 forward, starts alongside Samhan, and he is averaging 9.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

The Gaels also have a trio of shooters in Matthew Dellavedova, Mickey McConnell and Clint Steindl. They are a combined 72-172 (.419) from 3-point range.

By comparison, Hawai'i has 63 3-pointers as a team.

"They're not the same kind of team as a UNLV," Nash said. "But they're just as effective with what they do. They can come at you in so many different ways."

In addition to another victory, the 'Bows are looking for consistency.

Hawai'i had its best shooting night of the season (.604) in a win over College of Charleston on the opening night of the tournament. Less than 24 hours later, the 'Bows had their worst shooting night of the season (.341) in the loss to UNLV.

"We just have to be patient," Thompson said. "Saint Mary's has a whole different style (from UNLV) so hopefully we should be able to get in our offense a little better."

If the 6-7 Flemings is not able to play, the 'Bows will probably go with a smaller lineup. Dwain Williams, a 6-foot junior guard, would likely replace Flemings in the starting lineup.

"We've gone through this before," Nash said of the team's season-long battle with injuries. "The guys know what it takes, regardless of who's in there."

SEVERAL HAWAI'I TIES

Former Hawai'i point guard Mark Campbell is in his first season as an assistant coach with Saint Mary's.

He was a starter at UH from 2001-03, when Nash was the associate coach under Riley Wallace.

Current Hawai'i assistant coach Eran Ganot was on the Saint Mary's staff from 2003-06 as an administrative assistant. Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett was the head coach while Ganot was there.

Also, Hawai'i senior forward Brandon Adams and Saint Mary's senior center Samhan were teammates at San Ramon Valley High in California.