Anthony Carter soared over two chairs to win the slam dunk contest and rap artist/actor Ice T made a special appearance at Midnight Ohana this morning.
Photos by Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin

And, oh, what presents the University of Hawaii men's and women's basketball teams unwrapped for some 5,000 fans at last night's Midnight Ohana. Among the surprises were a guest appearance by rapper Ice T and a glimpse of what could be successful seasons for both squads.

The first official practice of the season finally ended on a free throw by junior guard Aaron Curry that gave the Green team a 41-40 win over the White in sudden-death triple overtime. No need for caffeine to keep the crowd awake; there was plenty of eye-opening talent among the familiar and not-so-familiar faces on the Rainbow and Wahine rosters.

Perhaps the biggest jolt came from guard Anthony "AC" Carter, who electrified the crowd with a variety of gravity-defying slams in soaring to the dunk title. The 6-foot-2 junior transfer flew over Alika Smith and Curry, who were seated in folding chairs, en route to stuffing the rest of the competition.

"I don't practice dunks," said Carter, who later scored 11 points in the losing White cause. "I just go to the gym to shoot and, if I feel like jumping, I do it.

"I'm just excited to be here and show the fans what I can do."

Both the Rainbows and the Wahine showed plenty during skill contests leading up to the men's scrimmage. In a portent of things to come, Smith won out over Wahine guard BJ Itoman in the 3-point shooting contest on the third tie-breaker shot.

Smith then hit three 3-pointers for the Green team, including two in the final 55 seconds of regulation to erase a six-point deficit and send the scrimmage into overtime. The White appeared to have won it in the second overtime on Carter's follow shot with 3.8 seconds to go that put his team ahead, 40-38.

But Danny Furlong got away with an apparent traveling violation on a desperation feed from Micah Kroeger and waltzed in for the tying basket just before the buzzer. Carter could have claimed the win for the White but missed the front end of a sudden-death one-and-one.

Curry capped his nine-point outing with his third consecutive free throw to give the Green the victory. Smith finished with 13 points for the Green while redshirt freshman guard Quentin Gallon led the White with 13 points, helped by three 3-pointers.

"I like the attitude of this team," said Rainbows coach Riley Wallace. "I saw some good things going on out there. This is an unselfish team with a lot of heart.

"For Carter, the sky's the limit because he does a lot of different things. He gave up a breakaway dunk to give his teammate (Kelvin Anderson) the shot. And overall, Midnight Ohana was a total success."

The day ended on a happier note than it had begun for Wallace. Hours before the festivities got under way, it was announced that junior guard Kawika Akina had quit the team and withdrawn from school due to personal reasons.

Akina, who played at Dixie College in Utah last season, graduated from Kahuku High in 1991. His father, Hiram, and brother, Alan, played at Brigham Young-Hawaii.

"There were some things going on with him and he said he didn't feel like he fit in with the rest of the team," Wallace said.

Akina is expected to transfer to a mainland school. Wallace said he would give Akina his release, provided the new college isn't a Western Athletic Conference school.

The only internal problems for the Wahine are the competitive battles for starting spots. The Hawaii women, switching to the WAC from the Big West, are deep in talent at every position.

It's a good problem to have, coach Vince Goo said. This year's team promises to be the best outside shooting squad Goo has ever had, bolstered by returning junior guard Michelle Macintyre and junior transfer Liisa Kotilainen, who led the Pac-10 in 3-pointers as a freshman at Arizona.

The Wahine also have height at the post, with four players 6-2 or taller. Junior redshirt Brandy Ashby, Miss Kentucky Basketball 1993, punctuated the team's ability with a dunk during introductions -- albeit on a lowered basket.

Green (41) Aaron Curry 3 3-3 9, Mike Robinson 3 1-2 7, Micah Kroeger 1 1-2 3, Alika Smith 4 2-2 13, Danny Furlong 4 1-2 9. Totals 15 8-11 41.

White (40): Anthony Carter 4 3-5 11, Greg Miller 2 0-0 4, Kelvin Anderson 2 0-0 4, Eric Ambrozich 1 2-2 4, Seth Sundberg 0 4-5 4, Quentin Gallon 5 0-0 13. Totals 14 9-12 40.

3-point goals-Green 3 (Smith 3). White 3 (Gallon 3). Total fouls-Green 11, White 9.