Christensen Family: Tanner's University of Hawaii Basketball Season

Tanner's teammates, coaches, and staff

Team dinner with some donors

The team put on a camp on the Island of Kawaii

Pictures from practice on August 6th

The players went to read to the elementary students at Waikiki Elementary School (September 20th)

1st day of official practice

Write up about the team in the local paper. One of Tanner's professors game him a copy of the article.

Clippers vs Warriors game

The Clippers came to Hawaii and practiced at the University of Hawaii and the Warriors came and practiced at BYU Hawaii. They played an exhibition game at the University of Hawaii. Tanner and Emilie got to go and watch them play.

Media Day October 16th

The program had a huge fundraising auction on October 17th. The cheapest tickets were $350.

Part of the auction included a question and answer session with the players.

Tanner photo bombed this picture. The lady was not happy.

October 19th, they had Rainbow Madness that included things like an introduction of the players, a skills challenge, 3 point contest, and a fan dunk contest judged by the players.

Photos at Rainbow Drive Inn in their throw back uniforms October 20th

Exhibition game against the University of Hawaii at Hilo on the Big Island on October 25th. They won 64-61. Tanner had made a lay-in and a free throw to win the game! The game was only on the radio so we didn't get to watch it. Emilie said the floor was so wet from the humidity that the players were falling all over and that they had to stop the game and mop the floor a ton.

Tanner had a double-double. 13 points and 10 rebounds

The next day they had a camp with the players from the U of H Hilo for kids on the Big Island.

Tanner's team has 9 international players and players from 8 different countries

#14 Harry Rouhiadeff and #22 Ryan Rapp from Australia

#20 Jerome Palm from The Netherlands

#6 Osahon Obasohan from Belgium

#11 Jacopo Van der Knaap from Italy

#2 Tom Beattie from New Zealand

#13 Roy Igwe and #34 Akira Jacobs from Japan

#5 Gytis Nemeiksa from Lithuania

The rest of the players from the USA

Tanner's team went to Maui to play a D2 team called Chaminade. Chaminade is also on Oahu, but both teams went to Maui to play. They did a camp for the kids on Maui the next day together. Hawaii won 85-80. Tanner has a friend in his ward on Chaminade's team, Jackson Last.

Hugging his buddy Jackson

Jackson and Kate Last and Emilie and Tanner

Camp on Maui with the Chaminade players

November 8th vs Life Pacific Won 96-61

11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks

November 10th vs San Jose St Won 80-69

20 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist

November 11th vs Pacific Won 76-66

14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal

Tanner was the MVP of the Rainbow Classic Tournament (the 3 previous games were part of the tournament, Pacific Life, San Jose St, and Pacific).

Article about Tanner in the paper

November 17th vs Weber State Won 73-68 (OT)

25 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 2 steals

Dave and Jen came out to Hawaii to visit and watch the Weber State and North Carolina games.

Tanner was the Big West Play of the week!

Funny Meme that was on Hawaii Men's Basketball Instagram page

November 22nd vs North Caroline Lost 69-87

10 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block

November 26th vs Hawaii Pacific Won 67-63

6 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal

December 3rd vs Grand Canyon Lost 72-78

6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

Some time this summer, Allie's mom bought Katie a ticket to come down to Arizona to visit Allie the beginning in December. About a month before Katie came down, I realized that Tanner's GCU game was going to be played at GCU when Katie was there. Emilie's parents had bought Emilie a ticket to come watch the game too. So Katie got to go to the game and see Tanner and Emilie for the first time in over 18 months. What an awesome coincidence! Allie and her family went to the game with Katie too.

First hug with Tanner since before her mission!

We saw Katie, Emilie, Jen, and Dave on TV

December 7th vs Long Beach State Lost 68-76

10 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

December 14th vs Texas A&M Corpus Christi Won 71-62

8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 1 steal

December 22nd vs Charolette Won 78-61

5 points, 8 rebounds

December 23rd vs Nebraska Lost 55-69

3 points, 4 rebounds

December 25th vs Oakland Won 73-70 (OT)

6 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal

January 2nd vs UC Santa Barbara Lost 61-64

15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block

January 4th vs Cal Poly Won 68-55

10 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block

January 9th vs UC Riverside Won 83-76

18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

January 11th vs Cal State Fullerton Won 95-86

19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists

January 16th vs CSUN Lost 60-83

4 points, 1 rebound, 3 blocks, 1 steal

January 18th vs CSU Bakersfield Won 81-70

17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

And was 11-13 from the free-throw line!

Tanner got the Manoa award for his awesome free-throw shooting!

January 23rd vs UC Davis Lost 66-68

11 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assists

January 25th vs UC Irvine Lost 55-71

7 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal

January 30th vs UC San Diego Lost 63-74

6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks

February 1st vs Cal State Fullerton Won 82-57

2 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

February 6th vs Cal Poly Lost 63-79

9 points, 4 rebounds

February 8th vs UC Santa Barbara Lost 72-76

23 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

February 13th vs Long Beach State Won 62-60

9 points, 7 rebounds

February 14th-Happy Birthday Tanner

February 15th vs UC Irvine Lost 49-66

11 points, 4 rebounds

February 22nd vs UC San Diego Lost 44-83

4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block

Katie and her roommates were in San Diego for a girls trip so they came to Tanner's game. Too bad it was such a terrible game.

We could see Katie and her friends on TV

February 27th vs UC Riverside Lost 76-82

8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists

March 1st vs UC Davis Won 78-70

Senior Night

16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

Emilie posted on Instagram a picture of each of Tanner's 5 years of playing

Tanner's senior night!! This is why we really came to Hawaii. I'm so glad we did. It was such a cool night. Plus they won their game so that made the night extra awesome! We went to a team dinner before (we didn't know there was going to be food, so we had eaten at the food court before and we were so full). Then we went to up to the game. I was a great game made even better because they won. After the game, Kirt, Emilie, and I went down on the court. They made a big circle on the court of the families of the seniors, the players and the coaches and their families after the game. They introduced each senior and they got to come one the court and get a lei from coach Ganot and then take their final shot. Then they went around the circle and got lei's from the players and family members. They took some team photos. Then they signed some autographs and then went around the stands and fans gave them more leis. Tanner did a few interviews and then took some pictures with his family. It was a really special night, and I'm glad we got to be there.