WAHINE BASKETBALL
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL /
CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Pam Tambini of Hawaii briefly lost the ball while sandwiched between Utah State's Camille Brox and Jamelah Brown.
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Rainbow Wahine run away from Utah State
The Hawaii Rainbow Wahine used a defense in the second half that they just started learning earlier this week. It helped them pull away from Utah State in the final 20 minutes.
Pam Tambini scored a game-high 20 points to lead four Wahine in double figures in the 79-63 Western Athletic Conference victory over the Aggies at the Stan Sheriff Center yesterday afternoon.
It was the sixth consecutive win for Hawaii (13-12 overall, 7-6 WAC) and the first loss in the last four games for Utah State (10-14, 6-6).
Acting head coach Pat Charity was well aware that the Aggies' 6-foot senior forward Brittany Philllips was a scoring threat from anyplace on the court, especially from beyond the 3-point circle.
Charity's concerns proved true in the opening half as Phillips sank four of seven from beyond the arc and scored 17 of Utah State's 32 points.
"We said at the half that if we can shut No. 22 (Phillips) down, the game will be ours," Tambini said. "We had a post on her (in the first half). She was setting the screen, then rolling and getting open. Janevia (Taylor) had her in the second half, put pressure on her and she only scored one point."
Assistant coach Matt Paton suggested putting Taylor on Phillips at the break and Taylor then suggested using the (just-learned) triangle-and-two defense.
"We came back with the triangle-and-two and it worked," said Taylor, who had some help.
The triangle involves three players, one by the foul line and the other two flanking on either side, basically playing a zone. That left Taylor and the other guard or whoever was in those positions, playing man-to-man on Phillips.
The Wahine held a 42-26 rebound advantage and that translated into 25 second-chance points for Hawaii compared to four for Utah State.
"Defense and boxing out were a focus for us all week," Tambini said.
The offenses had their way for the first 8 minutes that had UH leading 19-14 with 11:56 to go in the first half. The Wahine connected on eight of their first 14 field-goal attempts, while the Aggies were successful on six of their first nine.
Then, neither team could score from the field for the next 4:28, managing just a pair of free throws.
Brittany Grice broke the drought with a layup off a bounce pass from Tanya Smith at the 7:28 mark for a 23-19 UH lead. The teams then matched baskets until the half, with the Wahine holding a 35-32 lead at the break.
When Hawaii scored the first seven points of the second half to take a 42-32 lead and did not allow a USU point for 5 minutes, the Aggies went to their delaying press.
"I thought we did a good job against the press. We missed a couple of easy opportunities, but we didn't turn the ball over," Charity said.
"We went with our 20 series that spreads the floor more. We've been doing that real well lately. With Amy (Kotani) and Cassidy (Chretien), two good ballhandlers, it is harder to trap them."
The Wahine maintained a 5- to 10-point lead, but were not able to create a comfortable lead until late.
Taylor Richards picked up the scoring slack for the Aggies with 12 of her 19 points in the second half. Her layup with 4:20 to play cut the Aggies' deficit to nine points (64-55).
The Wahine, now 13-1 this season when leading with 5 minutes to play, scored six consecutive points following the last media timeout at 3:53.
Smith made two foul shots and Tambini had an uncontested layup off a seeing-eye pass from Taylor, who was driving the right lane.
"Coach told us to take it to the rack. The (shot) clock was winding down and I drove the lane," Taylor said.
WAC Standings
|
WAC |
Overall
|
|
W |
L |
Pct. |
GB |
W |
L
|
Boise State |
10 |
2 |
.833 |
-- |
19 |
6
|
Louisiana Tech |
10 |
3 |
.769 |
1/2 |
15 |
11
|
Fresno State |
7 |
5 |
.583 |
3 |
14 |
11
|
Nevada |
7 |
5 |
.583 |
3 |
13 |
12
|
Hawaii |
7 |
6 |
.538 |
3 1/2 |
13 |
12
|
Utah State |
6 |
6 |
.500 |
4 |
10 |
14
|
NMSU |
5 |
7 |
.417 |
5 |
10 |
14
|
Idaho |
2 |
11 |
.154 |
8 1/2 |
5 |
19
|
San Jose State |
2 |
11 |
.154 |
8 1/2 |
3 |
24 |
Saturday
Fresno State 69, Boise State 61
Yesterday
Hawaii 79, Utah State 63
Hawaii 79, Utah State 63
Aggies (10-14, 6-7 WAC)
|
|
fg |
fga |
ft |
fta |
min |
reb |
a |
tp
|
Gross |
3 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
6
|
Phillips |
5 |
14 |
4 |
6 |
39 |
5 |
2 |
18
|
Hagen |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
15 |
1 |
0 |
0
|
Snelgro |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
2 |
0
|
Richards |
7 |
12 |
4 |
4 |
39 |
7 |
2 |
19
|
Palo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0
|
Brown |
2 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
23 |
3 |
1 |
5
|
Brox |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
25 |
4 |
1 |
4
|
Kaljo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Pares |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
2
|
Freeze |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
17 |
1 |
0 |
5
|
Johnson |
0 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
11 |
1 |
0 |
4
|
TEAM |
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
Totals |
20 |
48 |
17 |
21 |
200 |
26 |
8 |
63 |
Rainbow Wahine (13-12, 7-6 WAC)
|
|
fg |
fga |
ft |
fta |
min |
reb |
a |
tp
|
Smith |
5 |
9 |
4 |
5 |
35 |
13 |
3 |
14
|
Tambini |
7 |
12 |
4 |
4 |
34 |
8 |
3 |
20
|
Grice |
5 |
11 |
2 |
6 |
32 |
4 |
3 |
12
|
Taylor |
6 |
13 |
2 |
2 |
34 |
4 |
3 |
16
|
Kotani |
1 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
23 |
2 |
4 |
3
|
Nishi |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1
|
Tinnin |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
0
|
Cho |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1
|
Cariaga |
2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
4
|
Chretien |
0 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
11 |
2 |
0 |
2
|
Liepkalne |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Lee |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
4
|
Zagrobelna |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
2
|
TEAM |
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
|
Totals |
27 |
59 |
21 |
31 |
200 |
42 |
17 |
79 |
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 -- Hawaii 35, Utah State 32
3-point goals -- USU 6-19 (Phillips 4-8, Freeze 1-1, Richards 1-5, Hagen 0-1, Brown 0-1, Pares 0-1, Gross 0-2), Hawaii 4-13 (Tambini 2-4, Taylor 2-5, Tinnin 0-1, Kotani 0-2). Personal fouls -- USU 24, Hawaii 17. Fouled out -- Brox.
Steals -- USU 4 (Brox 2, Phillips, Brown), Hawaii 9 (Tambini 3, Grice 2, Chretien 2, Smith, Zagrobelna). Blocked shots -- USU 2 (Phillips, Johnson), Hawaii 2 (Smith, Grice). Turnovers -- USU 15 (Phillips 5, Richards 3, Gross, Snelgro, Brown, Brox, Kaljo, Freeze, Johnson), Hawaii 12 (Smith 3, Tambini 2, Taylor 2, Grice, Tinnin, Cariaga, Liepkalne, Zagrobelna).
Officials -- Kent Johnson, Carla Fujimoto, John Weeks. A--348.