HONOLULU (Interstat) — A surging Hawaii men’s basketball team looks to continue its dominant start to the season when it hosts struggling UTEP in a nonconference matchup Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Warriors (9-2) have won seven straight games, most recently a 98-46 rout of Hawaii Hilo on Wednesday. They have not lost since Nov. 20 and have protected their home court with a 7-0 record in Honolulu this season. Hawaii’s balanced attack is led by guard Harry Rouhliadeff, who is coming off a 16-point, 5-assist performance against Hawaii Hilo. Over his last three games, he is averaging 14 points and 3.5 assists. UTEP (3-5) arrives on the islands mired in a four-game losing streak. The Miners fell 75-68 at Seattle on Dec. 7. Their last victory was an 84-83 overtime win against St. Thomas on Nov. 19. The Miners will lean on guard Jamal West, who scored a season-high 21 points in the loss at Seattle. West has been UTEP’s most consistent offensive threat, averaging 13.1 points per game. Elijah Jones, who added 18 points against Seattle, provides a secondary scoring option. Hawaii’s defense, which has held opponents to 60.5 points per game during its winning streak, will aim to contain a UTEP offense averaging just 68.1 points. The Warriors have won their home games by an average margin of 26.7 points. UTEP’s challenges are compounded by its difficult early schedule, which has featured four road losses. This game begins a stretch where the Miners play seven of their next eight away from home. For Hawaii, this contest is a final tune-up before opening Big West Conference play on Jan. 1 at UC Riverside. UTEP’s next game is Dec. 21 against Norfolk State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. HST Saturday at Stan Sheriff Center (capacity 10,300).