Keeping Score
By Cindy Luis
Wednesday, May 8, 1996
The agony was in seeing Yuval Katz sprawled on the Pauley Pavilion court, almost in denial that his pancake dig attempt of Tom Stillwell's spike could not save the Rainbows one more time. This may very well have been the final moment in a Hawaii uniform for Katz, the national co-player of the year and most outstanding player of the 1996 Final Four.
The thrill was watching Hawaii products Stein Metzger, Brian Wells and Fred Robins help the University of Oahu at Los Angeles to an unprecedented 16th championship. The islands have contributed to the Bruins' success ever since Peter Ehrman began his UCLA career in 1978, playing on two title teams.
Since then, there has been at least one player from Hawaii on the UCLA roster every year except 1991: Hilo High's Reed Sunahara (1982-86), and Punahou's Trevor Schirman (1987-90), Kevin Wong ('92-95), Metzger ('93-96) and Wells ('93-96). Robins, from Kamehameha, will carry the torch through 1999.
There were plenty of other thrills and agonizing moments during Saturday's 3 hour, 11 minute match. The most poignant, however, came when Wells and Metzger clung to each near the spot where Stillwell's match-winner landed.
Friends since fifth grade, their senior college seasons ended just as their senior season at Punahou had: with a championship. It was a dream-like finish that almost didn't happen.
Wells redshirted his first year, as did Metzger. Unlike Metzger, who took over setting duties as a junior and played considerably as a sophomore, it wasn't until this season that Wells earned a starting role.
"I was just lucky that my All-American graduated before Brian's," said Metzger, who surpassed his predecessor, Mike Sealy, as the school's career assist leader. "It was so awesome to be on the court together for our last match, at home, against Hawaii, for the championship. It's been like destiny.
"We have a lot of love for each other. We've gone through so much, had so many ups and down. It's just a great feeling to have had someone who has been with you the whole time from the beginning to be out there with you when it ends."
Wells, a six-time, three-sport letterman at Punahou, nearly wasn't there. Nicknamed "Superfly Bri-Bri" for his skateboarding ramp soaring, Wells said he often thought of transfering his first two years, but stayed because of school.
"It was hard to stay because I knew I wouldn't be playing all that much until, maybe, my senior year," said Wells, considered the Bruins' best athletic talent with his 40-inch vertical jump. "I made the decision to stay after the second year. I told myself that if I stuck it out, I would play. This was what I've been waiting for for five years."
The long, long wait was worth it for Wells. Even though he did not make the all-tournament team, the 6-foot-2 overachiever should have, with his solid all-around play.
The Rainbows had averaged 10 aces a match in the three previous meetings with the Bruins. Last Saturday, Hawaii had six aces - and just two after Game 2 - with Wells, the main passer for UCLA, the main reason.
"I'm really going to miss their leadership," Robins said of Metzger and Wells. "Whenever I had slumps during the season, they would pick me right back up. They really cared about their teammates and that was nice to have, especially my first season."
After sitting out four matches with a sprained ankle, Robins was a surprise starter Saturday. The Kamehameha all-state pick didn't know he was starting until the public address announcer introduced the lineup.
"Al (UCLA Coach Scates) wants us all to warm up hard so that any one of us will be ready if he goes with a different rotation to start," said Robins. "Mentally, I was ready. You're expected to be.
"Being out there was unbelieveable. The game could have gone either way, and we were lucky it went our way."
"It was nice to finally get to play UH in front of our crowd," said Metzger. "UH had a pretty loud crowd and so was ours. It felt like the two crowds were sparring, just like the two teams were out on the court."
The two heavyweights slugged it out until the final bell. That NCAA trophy may be resting in Westwood, but a piece of it belongs here.