Hawaii basketball team pulls out of Christmas Day game due to COVID-19 issues
Dec. 25—Citing health and safety concerns, the University of Hawaii men's basketball team will not be participating in Saturday's game against Northern Iowa in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
COVID-19 infections and injuries leave the Rainbow Warriors with an insufficient number of available players for the seventh-place game. Tip-off was scheduled for 10 :30 a.m for the nationally televised game.
The Warriors entered with three players out with injuries and a fourth, center Mate Colina, in the health /safety protocol. Today, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser learned there were undisclosed additions to the protocol.
"We're extremely disappointed to not participate in tomorrow's game, but it's absolutely the right thing to do, " UH coach Eran Ganot said in a statement circulated to the media. "Our program didn't have a single positive COVID case over the last 21 months and now we're being affected like so many programs across the country. It's an unfortunate situation, but the priority remains to protect our student-athletes as well as those that we compete against."
The decision to withdraw came after consultation among staff, medical personnel and administration.
It appears UH will not be credited with a forfeit or loss. This week, the Big West, of which UH is a member, declared a canceled game as a "no contest " rather than a forfeit. The Big West reasoned it aligned with NCAA standards for a team that cannot participate because of certain circumstances, such as illness.
