Hawaii Beat
Star-Bulletin staff
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Rainbow Classic field announced
New Hawaii basketball coach Bob Nash announced the pairings yesterday for the 2007 Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic that will be held Dec. 19-22 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Hawaii opens with Louisiana-Lafayette in the 44th annual eight-team tournament. That game will be preceded by Ohio and St. John's in the opener on Dec. 19. The Dec. 20 games feature Tulane and St. Mary's followed by East Tennessee State and Georgia. The first-round winners advance to the semifinals on Dec. 21 with the winners of that game meeting in the final on Dec. 22.
The Rainbows have captured this tournament a record 11 times, including five of the last six. Last year, Hawaii defeated Creighton in the championship, 76-60. Georgia won the tournament in 1996, defeating Maryland in the final by eight. The Bulldogs also lost in the 2001 title game to Hawaii, 54-44.
The rest of UH's 2007-08 schedule will be released at a later date, pending signed contracts with a couple of teams.
Waipio loses, drops to 1-2
The Waipio Little League team lost another close one last night to Nevada and needs a win over Arizona tomorrow afternoon to advance to the semifinals of the West Regional on Friday.
Phillip McGovern hit a solo shot in the sixth inning to seal a 1-0 victory for Nevada, which is 4-0 in pool play. Waipio dropped to 1-2.
Waipio managed only one hit off starting Nevada pitcher Alec Hutt, who went the distance, striking out 13 and walking none.
The winners of the Friday games meet for the region title at 7 p.m. Sunday at Houghton Stadium, in a game televised live on ESPN2. The winner of the region title game advances to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
Chun fires a 71 at U.S. Amateur
Mari Chun of Pearl City carded a 34-37--71 in the opening round of the rain-delayed U.S. Women's Amateur at the Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., yesterday.
Chun is four shots behind clubhouse leader Candace Schepperle of Birmingham, Ala.
When play was suspended by the weather, there were 76 players still on the course, including Kimberly Kim, a former Big Island resident now living in Arizona, Aiea's Anna Jang and Ayaka Kaneko of Honolulu.
Waikoloa's Tamara Surtees was able to finish her first round, shooting a 41-38--79.
West Oahu wins again in pool play
West Oahu improved to 4-0-1 in pool play at the USABF 18-and-under World Series at San Diego with a 7-0 victory over NV Baseball yesterday.
West Oahu scored four runs in the third and added three in the fifth to end the game after five innings due to the mercy rule.
Brett Nakasone and Austin Sloan combined to pitch the shutout for West Oahu. Waylen Sing Chow drove in four runs to lead the winners at the plate.
West Oahu plays again tomorrow in the tournament's double-elimination format.
Hopoi wins Kids Golf world title
Aiea's Donny Hopoi finished with a three-round total of 5-under 216 to win the 10-and-under division of the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship at Pinehurst, N.C., yesterday.
Hopoi finished three shots ahead of Zechung Dou of China in the tournament that was played on a course shortened for age-appropriate distance.
HPU baseball team signs Asher
The Hawaii Pacific baseball team signed former Aiea standout Aaron Asher, the school announced yesterday.
A catcher, Asher helped Na Alii to an Oahu Interscholastic Association title in his senior season. He also played for Yavapai College (Prescott, Ariz.), and his team fell to Walters State Community College in the title game of the 2006 Junior College World Series.