The true tests for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team are still a month away, but the first quiz of the season took place yesterday.

The Rainbow Warriors capped their first week of practice with an intrasquad scrimmage.

"It's a good way to see how much the guys have learned, especially the new guys," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "It's different from regular practices because you have the referees and a clock and you're keeping score. It gets competitive, but in a good way."

Senior forward Julian Sensley scored 21 points to lead the "Black" jerseys to a 91-85 victory over the "White" jerseys.

"There's obviously a lot of things we need to work on, but overall, I think it's going well," Sensley said. "This is only our first week together, so we're shaping up to be a good team."

Wallace said all five starting positions are "up for grabs," although the 6-foot-9 Sensley should be able to fill one of the forward spots. He has been the starting small forward the past two seasons.

"Julian's been consistent," Wallace said. "And he'll need to be that way for us because he'll be looked at as one of the leaders."

Senior forward "Big Matt" Gipson also had an impressive scrimmage with 18 points and seven rebounds for the Black team.

"We found out what the teams were going to be (Friday) night, so we were already talking trash about it in the locker room," Gipson said. "Everyone wants to start, everyone wants the minutes, and the ones who work the hardest and play the best in these (scrimmages) will get it."

Wallace said of Gipson: "You can see what a difference it makes when Big Matt plays with energy. That's what we need out of him."

Junior shooting guard "Little Matt" Gibson, last season's leading scorer at 13.0 points per game, scored 18 points for the White team.

"It's kind of like an audition," he said. "You know you're going to get your opportunities and so you have to capitalize on it."

Among the newcomers, forward Ahmet Gueye and shooting guard Matt Lojeski appear to be catching on quickly.

Gueye, a 6-8 junior, had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Black team. Lojeski, a 6-5 junior, scored 18 points for the White.

"This group is probably farther along than any other new group we've had," Wallace said. "But the execution is still not there yet. We still have a lot of work to do, especially on the defensive end."

Freshman point guard Hiram Thompson sat out the final few minutes of the scrimmage because of an ankle injury, but it did not appear to be serious.

Thompson, Deonte Tatum, John Wilder and Dominic Waters are all competing for the point guard position.

Wallace said he would like to conduct at least one intrasquad scrimmage per week before the team's exhibition game against Hawai'i-Hilo on Nov. 11.

The regular-season opener is scheduled for Nov. 19 against national power Michigan State.

"If we learn to play together a little better, there's no reason why we shouldn't be the top team in the (Western Athletic Conference)," Sensley said. "We're a real athletic team. Every position can get up and down the floor, and that makes us hard to stop."

SEASON TICKET SALES BEGIN TOMORROW

Season tickets for the 2005-06 basketball season will be available starting tomorrow at the Stan Sheriff Center box office.

Prices are $270 for lower level seats, $200 for upper level adult seats, $89 for upper level student seats (ages 4 through high school), $69 for Super Rooter/Manoa Maniacs seats, $59 for upper level UH students. There is an additional premium charge of $50 or $100 for selected lower level seats.

For information, call 944-2697 or visit hawaiiathletics.com.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.