WAHINE BASKETBALL
Hittle sparks Wahine
How did Tara Hittle imagine the first start of her college basketball career?
"I pictured slamming down a dunk," the standout 6-foot Hawaii volleyball player said. "Nah, I was happy."
Hittle's relentless hustle and easy conscience on the basketball court got Hawaii off on the right foot, and she was one of four Rainbow Wahine players who scored in double figures en route to a 69-42 win over Utah State last night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
"If you shoot an airball, it happens," Hittle said. "Keep your head clear, grab the ball and put it up again."
There weren't a whole lot of misses last night as Hawaii rode a season-best 58-percent shooting from the field (27-for-46), but that was exactly why coach Jim Bolla inserted her into the starting lineup for the first time in her burgeoning college hoops career.
The Rainbow Wahine earned their third Western Athletic Conference win of the season in kicking off a four-game homestand. After losing by a combined 55 points in their two most recent road losses, Hawaii took out its frustration on a reeling Aggies team with the 27-point differential. Utah State (6-15, 2-7 WAC) dropped its seventh straight game.
Saundra Cariaga and Megan Tinnin scored 14 points each, and Hittle and Iwona Zagrobelna chipped in 12 apiece for the Wahine.
The lights-out shooting of Hawaii (9-13, 3-6 WAC) was lethal in combination with a stifling zone defense. Hustle and energy were contagious as players -- led by Hittle and Amy Kotani -- repeatedly hit the deck diving for extra possessions and after strong drives to the basket. The Wahine held the Aggies to 16 points on 26 percent (7-for-27) shooting before halftime, the fewest points allowed by an opponent in a half all year.
Bolla credited Hittle for the team's resurgent play.
"She's a person everyone wants to be around," he said. "It's like volleyball. Tara's not afraid to get her shot blocked or stuffed at the net. She'll just do it again."
There were still a couple of wild shots from underneath the basket, but the junior delivered on 5-for-8 shooting with seven rebounds. Hittle forged her first signature basketball play at the Stan Sheriff by stealing a pass right in front of Bolla a few minutes into the game, and went coast-to-coast for a tough layup and converted the three-point play.
"She came to play. She gets everyone pumped," said Cariaga, who shot 6-for-7, including two athletic basket conversions on lob passes from Keisha Kanekoa and Kotani. "This is the way we're capable of playing, and if we do, we can beat any team in the conference."
With a tentative 9-6 lead, the Rainbow Wahine exploded on an 18-3 run to earn a 35-16 advantage at the break.
Utah State managed to convert only four of 24 3-point attempts (16 percent) and the WAC's top free-throw shooting team converted only six of 14 shots (42.9 percent) from the stripe.
While Hawaii committed its usual bevy of turnovers and had trouble with their post entry passes, the Wahine did a vastly improved job making sure the Aggies didn't capitalize off of them with a 22-8 advantage on points off turnovers. UH also blocked nine shots.
Hawaii didn't need to rely on a big night from senior forward Tanya Smith, who had just seven points and nine rebounds, because just about everyone else who played impacted the game.
"This is how we're supposed to play," Bolla said. "That's how this offense is geared -- a lot of options for different people."
The highlight of the half was an All-Big Island backdoor lob from Kanekoa to Cariaga, who leapt high to convert the basket off the glass before falling backward out of bounds.
Utah State scored five quick points coming out of halftime, but Hawaii rallied and never allowed the deficit to creep below 16.
Hawaii 69, Utah State 42
Aggies (6-15, 2-7 wac)
|
|
fg-a |
ft-a |
rb |
pf |
pts |
a |
to |
min
|
Gross |
6-12 |
3-7 |
7 |
3 |
15 |
1 |
3 |
33
|
Diop |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
13
|
Snelgro |
4-12 |
1-2 |
3 |
1 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
31
|
Brown |
1-5 |
1-2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
25
|
Richards |
0-7 |
0-0 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
26
|
Palo |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4
|
Coddington |
1-3 |
0-0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
13
|
White |
0-1 |
1-2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
6
|
Pope |
0-1 |
0-1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4
|
Pares |
3-10 |
0-0 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
13
|
Hatchett |
0-2 |
0-0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5
|
Shipley |
1-4 |
0-0 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
9
|
Johnoson |
0-4 |
0-0 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
18
|
TEAM |
|
|
6 |
|
Totals |
16-61 |
6-14 |
35 |
16 |
42 |
9 |
20 |
200 |
Rainbow WaHINE (9-13, 3-6 WAC)
|
|
fg-a |
ft-a |
rb |
pf |
pts |
a |
to |
min
|
Hittle |
5-8 |
2-4 |
7 |
3 |
12 |
1 |
3 |
25
|
Smith |
2-10 |
3-4 |
9 |
2 |
7 |
2 |
4 |
32
|
Tinnin |
5-9 |
3-4 |
7 |
4 |
14 |
4 |
6 |
38
|
Kotani |
2-3 |
0-0 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
26
|
Cariaga |
6-7 |
2-2 |
2 |
1 |
14 |
3 |
1 |
36
|
Cho |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2
|
Kanekoa |
1-2 |
0-0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
18
|
Zagrobelna |
5-6 |
0-0 |
1 |
2 |
12 |
1 |
4 |
21
|
Jones |
1-1 |
0-0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2
|
TEAM |
|
|
3
|
Totals |
27-46 |
10-14 |
33 |
16 |
69 |
19 |
22 |
200 |
Key -- fg-a: field goals made-attempted; ft-a: free throws made-attempted; rb: rebounds; pf: personal fould; pts: total points; a: assists; to: turnovers; min: minutes played.
Halftime -- Hawaii 35, Utah State 16
3-point goals -- Utah State 4-24 (Pares 2-7, Brown 1-2, Snelgrow 1-6, White 0-1, Hatchett 0-1, Shipley 0-1, Johnson 0-1, Gross 0-1, Richards 0-2, Coddington 0-2), Hawaii 5-8 (Zagrobelna 2-2, Kotani 2-2, Tinnin 1-3, Smith 0-1).
Steals -- Utah State 8 (Richards 2, Gross, Diop, Snelgrow, Brown, Coddington, White), Hawaii 8 (Hittle 2, Cariaga 2, Zagrobelna 2, Kotani, Kanekoa). Blocked shots -- Utah State 3 (Johnson 2, Gross), Hawaii 9(Zagrobelna 3, Smith 2, Tinnin 2, Cariaga 2).
Officials -- Michael Price, Kyle Bacon, Lucy Banuelos.