WAHINE BASKETBALL
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Dalia Solia tried to put up a shot as Fresno State's Faith Probst defended during the first half last night.
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Bulldogs edge UH
The Hawaii women's basketball team had a tough time hanging on to the ball and saw an opportunity to upset one of the Western Athletic Conference's top teams slip away as a result.
The Rainbow Wahine stayed with first-place Fresno State for most of last night's game at the Stan Sheriff Center. But they couldn't overcome 26 turnovers in a 69-62 loss to the Bulldogs in front of 370 fans.
"You can't have 26 turnovers," UH coach Jim Bolla said. "For us to lose by what we lost by is a miracle. We should have lost by 20 with 26 turnovers.
"It's frustrating, we're this close. We're in the game, we've got a chance to win this game, make a real difference in the conference and we just don't take advantage of it. That's what's happened to us probably five of the last seven games."
The Wahine (13-8, 4-6 WAC) lost for the fourth time in their last five appearances at the Sheriff Center and enter tomorrow's game against Boise State in a five-way tie for fourth place in the conference.
Fresno State (17-5, 9-1) maintained a share of first place with Louisiana Tech with the win.
Hawaii guard Dalia Solia scored a career-high 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting, hitting three attempts from 3-point range in the loss. Guard Janevia Taylor added 17 points and also hit three shots beyond the arc in 40 minutes of action.
"That was a good accomplishment, but it doesn't really matter to me because we didn't come out with a 'W'," Solia said of her career night.
Fresno State got production in the paint and from the perimeter to stretch the Hawaii defense and fended off UH's comeback attempts in the second half with clutch shooting.
Hawaii cut the FSU lead to three on two occasions in the second half, and got to within four with 4 minutes left before the Bulldogs pulled away.
"That's a sign of a lot of leadership for us," FSU coach Adrian Wiggins said. "They didn't really get nervous in that situation. I was nervous, but I don't think they were. They handled it quite well."
FSU guard Tierre Wilson led four Bulldogs in double figures with 15 points. Amy Parrish added 12 and Chantella Perera had 11.
The Bulldogs' defense swiped 15 steals as UH matched its turnover total from the first meeting between the teams, a 77-52 Fresno State rout on Jan. 21. FSU converted the turnovers into 26 points to sweep the season series between the teams.
Hawaii outrebounded the Bulldogs 39-24, and had 20 second-chance points, but couldn't get over the hump against an aggressive Bulldogs defense.
"It's way frustrating," Taylor said. "The game was there, it wasn't like it was out of our range. Our team has the ability to win these types of games, but it comes down to finishing certain plays, not panicking during pressure and just running our offense.
"Tonight we messed up a lot of times just throwing the ball away carelessly."
The Bulldogs swiped nine and scored 16 points off UH turnovers in the first half. The Wahine, who trailed by 19 at halftime in their first meeting with the Bulldogs, countered with hot outside shooting and trailed 36-34 at the break.
Solia (14 points) and Taylor (12) accounted for all but eight of UH's first-half points. Taylor made three of UH's five first-half treys as the Wahine shot 50 percent from the field.
After FSU pounced on a series of UH turnovers to fuel a 9-0 run, the Wahine answered with an 11-3 spurt capped by Taylor's 3-pointer from the top of the key to put UH up 28-26.
The Bulldogs scored the next six points to reclaim the lead, but UH stayed close and Solia ended the half with a putback just before the buzzer to cut the FSU lead to two.
A turnover on UH's opening possession that set up a Parrish layup prompted Bolla to call a timeout just 13 seconds into the second half.
The Bulldogs gradually pulled away and opened up a double-digit cushion when Chantella Perera drained a 3-pointer from the left wing to put FSU up 52-42.
Hawaii battled back with to within four at 58-54 with 5 minutes left, but would get no closer as Brittani Green and Wilson responded with jumpers to push the FSU lead back to eight.
WAC Standings
|
WAC |
Overall
|
|
W |
L |
Pct. |
GB |
W |
L
|
Louisiana Tech |
9 |
1 |
.900 |
-- |
17 |
4
|
Fresno State |
9 |
1 |
.900 |
-- |
17 |
5
|
San Jose State |
5 |
4 |
.556 |
3 1/2 |
10 |
10
|
Hawaii |
4 |
6 |
.400 |
5 |
13 |
8
|
Boise State |
4 |
6 |
.400 |
5 |
12 |
10
|
Idaho |
4 |
6 |
.400 |
5 |
8 |
13
|
Nevada |
4 |
6 |
.400 |
5 |
8 |
14
|
New Mexico State |
4 |
6 |
.400 |
5 |
7 |
14
|
Utah State |
1 |
8 |
.111 |
7 1/2 |
2 |
17 |
Yesterday
Fresno State 69, Hawaii 62
Idaho 80, San Jose State 62
Utah State 55, New Mexico State 45
Louisiana Tech 75, Nevada 34
Tomorrow
Boise State at Hawaii, 7 p.m., Stan Sheriff Center
Nevada at New Mexico State
Fresno State at San Jose State
Utah State at Louisiana Tech
Fresno State 69, Hawaii 62
Bulldogs (17-5, 9-1 WAC)
|
fg |
fga |
ft |
fta |
min |
reb |
a |
tp
|
Green |
5 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
23 |
1 |
2 |
10
|
Perera |
4 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
2 |
2 |
11
|
Parrish |
5 |
10 |
2 |
3 |
33 |
2 |
2 |
12
|
Swearengin |
2 |
7 |
4 |
6 |
39 |
3 |
4 |
9
|
Plummer |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
30 |
8 |
4 |
6
|
Roberson |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Wilson |
6 |
11 |
1 |
2 |
26 |
3 |
3 |
15
|
Henry |
2 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
2 |
2 |
4
|
Probst |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
2
|
TEAM |
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
Totals |
28 |
56 |
7 |
11 |
200 |
24 |
19 |
69 |
Rainbow Wahine (13-8, 4-6 WAC)
|
fg |
fga |
ft |
fta |
min |
reb |
a |
tp
|
Taylor |
6 |
10 |
2 |
4 |
40 |
6 |
4 |
17
|
Sanders |
3 |
12 |
1 |
2 |
33 |
7 |
1 |
8
|
Solia |
8 |
15 |
3 |
4 |
34 |
8 |
3 |
22
|
Tambini |
3 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
30 |
2 |
2 |
7
|
Grice |
3 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
23 |
5 |
1 |
6
|
Chretien |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0
|
Smith |
1 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
28 |
5 |
1 |
2
|
Lee |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
0
|
TEAM |
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
Totals |
24 |
55 |
7 |
11 |
200 |
39 |
14 |
62 |
Key -- fg: field goals made; fga: field goals attempted; ft: free throws made; fta: free throws attempted; min: minutes played; reb: rebounds; a: assists; tp: total points.
Halftime -- Fresno State 36, Hawaii 34
3-point goals -- FSU 6-18 (Perera 3-9, Wilson 2-3, Swearengin 1-4, Parrish 0-1, Probst 0-1), Hawaii 7-15 (Taylor 3-5, Solia 3-6, Sanders 1-4). Personal fouls -- FSU 13, Hawaii 12.
Steals -- FSU 15 (Parrish 5, Plummer 4, Perera 2, Green, Swearengin, Wilson, Henry), Hawaii 6 (Taylor 2, Solia 2, Tambini 2). Blocked shots -- FSU 6 (Henry 2, Plummer 2, Green, Perera), Hawaii 2 (Solia, Grice). Turnovers -- FSU 14 (Plummer 4, Swearengin 3, Perera 3, Wilson 2, Parrish 2), Hawaii 26 (Solia 6, Sanders 4, Tambini 4, Smith 4, Taylor 3, Grice 3, Chretien, Lee). Officials -- Jones, Johnson, Szermeta. A -- 370.