The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team received a big boost with the return of tri-captain Amy Sanders.

The senior guard practiced this week and declared herself healthy for tonight's game against visiting Kent State.

"I feel fine," said Sanders, who was briefly hospitalized Dec. 14 at The Queen's Medical Center because of a stomach ailment, and missed her first game Dec. 17 against Campbell after 92 consecutive appearances.

"Now that Amy's back, I think as long as we keep working hard and keep practicing hard, that's really going to help," junior forward Pam Tambini said.

The Rainbow Wahine are riding a five-game win streak, the longest stretch under second-year coach Jim Bolla.

"We've had some kids taking some extra shooting in the gym, and working out with the coaches," Bolla said. "This is not a team that's resting on its laurels."

Today's game will be the first for the Rainbow Wahine since Dec. 17, a span of 11 days. The teams will play again Friday.

Bolla told his players — some of whom traveled home to the Mainland for the holidays — to stay fit.

"He said make sure you get some running in because if you come back and be out of shape ... you start at step one again," said Tambini, who spent the break in San Jose, Calif. "He told us to keep working hard."

The two games against Kent State are the final preseason contests for UH, which starts Western Athletic Conference play Jan. 5 at Nevada.

"I think it's really important for us because we're on a little roll right now, and to keep that roll going into the WAC," Sanders said of this week's games.

The Rainbow Wahine have worked this week to improve on their 40 percent shooting from the field. UH — averaging 70.1 points per game — has topped 50 percent shooting in just one of its seven victories this season.

"We're still not shooting the ball like we're capable of," Bolla said. "That needs to come up. If that comes up, our points are going to come up. We should be between 75 and 80 points per game.

"The only way to shoot better is to shoot the ball," Bolla added. "It's like being a baseball player. If you're in a slump, you can't just go up there and not swing at it. We'll continue to shoot, we'll get better shots, and it will drop for us."

UH will need strong performances against Kent State (Kent, Ohio) of the Mid-American Conference.

The Golden Flashes have won five of their last six games, including an 87-76 double-overtime thriller over visiting Radford (Va.) on Dec. 21.

Senior forward Lindsay Shearer had 30 points and 14 rebounds in the victory. She averages a team-best 21.2 points and 7 rebounds per game.

Bolla said Hawai'i's defense will be balanced, and will not be focused on shutting down Shearer.

"We're going to play a team concept," Bolla said. "If you go into a game trying to shut someone down, you leave other people open to score a lot of easy baskets."

Hawai'i is projected to start guards Janevia Taylor (10.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game) and Sanders (13 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.8 apg), center Callie Spooner (2.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.1 apg) and forwards Brittany Grice (13.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.7 apg) and Tambini (11 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.7 apg).

NOTES

Amy Sanders rested at home in Huntington Beach, Calif., during the Christmas break. She said the break allowed her to recover from illness and an injured left calf that forced her to sometimes wear a protective boot and a soft cast. "My leg is better now. I think I just needed some rest," Sanders said.

The pair of Kent State games were scheduled after two teams pulled out of a planned four-team tournament, Bolla said.

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.