Fitting for a Monday game, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team is taking a workman-like approach.

The Rainbow Warriors will host Boise State in a Western Athletic Conference game tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center.

"You don't get a lot of time to prepare for teams once the league starts, so you really have to be ready to work every game," Hawai'i coach Riley Wallace said. "Our only advantage is we're at home."

The 'Bows defeated Fresno State, 73-65, on Saturday to improve to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in the WAC. Boise State is 9-7 and 2-3.

"A lot of us have been putting in extra work after practice, and I think you're seeing it pay off," Hawai'i leading scorer Julian Sensley said. "Even when we lost those two games (on the road), we were showing improvement. We just have to keep it going."

The game will feature two of the WAC's best all-around players in Sensley and Boise State's Coby Karl. They both could reach 1,000 points for their respective careers tonight (Sensley needs eight; Karl seven).

Sensley, a 6-foot-9 senior forward, is averaging 16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He has scored 53 points in Hawai'i's last two games.

"I'm not hesitating now, I'm just shooting," he said. "And it helps that our offense is clicking right now. We're all making the extra passes we weren't before."

Karl, a 6-4 junior guard, is averaging 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He is the son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl.

"Everybody needs a go-to guy and a guy to kind of be the leader on your team and he's definitely ours," Boise State coach Greg Graham said.

Hawai'i tried to recruit Karl when he was a senior at Homestead High in Wisconsin.

"He was real thin when he was younger," Wallace said. "But he's a workaholic — a coach's son. He's always in the weight room or in the gym, and he goes to all the summer camps. He's turned into a real physical specimen now. He's an All-WAC player."

Wallace said the key for Hawai'i is stopping Boise State's opportunistic offense.

"They'll try to run on you when ever they can, and they're a good 3-point shooting team," Wallace said. "We'll have to be really alert on defense."

The 'Bows found success with a rarely used 1-2-2 zone defense against Fresno State, but Wallace said he will open with his traditional man-to-man scheme tonight.

The Hawai'i players said the zone defense Saturday may have helped them prepare for tonight's game.

"You still have to hustle in a zone, but you're not running all over the court," guard Matt Lojeski said. "I think it helped save our legs a little bit. Plus, we can mix it up now and give the teams different looks."

In Hawai'i's man-to-man defense, Lojeski will likely have to defend Karl.

"It's a challenge, but I like it," Lojeski said. "I just have to try and limit his touches."

While Hawai'i was beating Fresno State, the Broncos were already preparing for the 'Bows. Boise State arrived in Honolulu on Saturday, and got to practice and watch Hawai'i's game on television that night.

Graham said he has brought past teams to Honolulu two days before a game and one day before a game, and wound up losing both ways.

"So I'm not sure which one works best," he said. "But we let the guys relax a little bit (yesterday) and hopefully it works out."

CORRECTION

The first paragraph of the University of Hawai'i men's basketball story in Sunday's Advertiser was inadvertently omitted. The first paragraph read:

The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team found its comfort zone at home again, and unveiled a surprising defensive zone in a 73-65 victory over Fresno State last night.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.