Thursday, March 19, 1998
Associated Press
HPU's Gilbert Smith (20) and East Central's
Kenyea Beach battle for a rebound.
HPU falls in NAIA
East Central holds on in
From staff & wire reports
the men's basketball tournamentTULSA, Okla. -- Then there were none.
Two nights into the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, and both Hawaii teams are out.
Sixth-seeded Hawaii Pacific University fell victim to the hot hand of an unlikely hero against unseeded East Central University (Okla.) last night at the Mabee Center.
True freshman guard Donald Morgan scored 26 points to lead the Tigers (19-8) to an 86-85 victory. Morgan averaged only 6.5 points during the season.
HPU concentrated on keeping junior guard Roland Miller, the NAIA's leading scorer, in check.
"We counted on Miller (23 points) and guard (Kenyea) Beach (seven points) getting theirs, but we did not count on Morgan hitting for 26," Sea Warriors head coach Tony Sellitto said. "He's a freshman and he was hitting from five or six feet behind the 3-point line. He played great. "
Morgan was 4-for-4 on 3-pointers.
Despite the loss, Sellitto said he wasn't disappointed with HPU's effort.
"There's no reason to be upset," he said. "We had three different guys with good looks at the basket at the end of the game, three beautiful looks. And God only gives you a chance. He doesn't give you more than that."
Sellitto praised the play of 6-foot-10 center J.J. Lucas, who had 30 points and hit four of seven 3-point tries, and guard Willie Flowers (22 points, 18 rebounds).
