Saturday, January 9, 1999

Three ’Bows miss
curfew, held out
of starting lineup

Star-Bulletin staff

It wasn't bad enough that the badly outgunned and unseasoned University of Hawaii men's basketball team (3-10) must play in The Pit against No. 15 New Mexico (13-2) today.

They're going to keep three key seniors out of the starting lineup.

Rainbow head coach Riley Wallace disciplined the team's leading scorer, 6-foot-8 forward Mike Robinson, second-leading scorer, 6-6 guard-forward Casey Cartwright, and shot-blocking 6-8 forward Erin Galloway for missing curfew Thursday night.

That means Wallace will give 7-0 junior Bryan Moeller his first start as a Rainbow. Moeller, who has played in only six games this season, averaging less than 2 points, will start at center against 6-8 All-American senior Kenny Thomas.

Thomas, despite a sinus headache, scored 22 points and tied his career high with seven blocks Thursday night in a 90-60 win over San Diego State.

"If he (Moeller) can cover his (Thomas') quick steps, he might make him change a few shots, because he is tall," said Wallace.

The rest of Hawaii's starting lineup will have juniors Johnny White and Geremy Robinson at guard and junior Marquette Alexander and freshman Philipp Czernin as the forwards.

Wallace said the three suspended players will see action tonight off the bench.

"They won't start, but they'll play," said Wallace.

"We'll have to sub anyway, because the altitude is killing them," he said. "We're higher now than we were Thursday in El Paso. We're mile-high now."

New Mexico Lobos

Coach: Dave Bliss (11th season, 234-101).

Season: 13-2 overall (1-1 WAC).

Top players: All-American Kenny Thomas, 6-8 senior center (20.1 points per game, 11.1 rebounds per game); Lamont Long, 6-4 junior guard, (18.9 ppg); Kevin Henry, 6-3 sophomore guard (13.7 ppg); Damion Walker, 6-7 junior forward (11.1 ppg); John Robinson II, freshman point guard (13.7 ppg).

Interesting facts: Long scored more points the first three games of the season than any other player in school history. Long totalled 92 points against DePaul (29), Simon Fraser (31) and Cornell (32) ... The Lobos (15th in AP and USA Today/ESPN polls) have been ranked in the AP poll for 46 straight weeks ... Thomas scored his 29th career double-double (22 points, 12 rebounds) in a 90-60 WAC victory over San Diego State on Thursday.

Keys to the game: The Rainbows (3-10 overall, 0-1 WAC) will not start their most seasoned veterans -- seniors Mike Robinson, Casey Cartwright and Erin Galloway -- who are being disciplined for missing curfew ... This will be the Lobos' seventh game in 13 days ... It will be the 54th meeting between the Rainbows and Lobos. The Lobos lead the series, 37-16. New Mexico has won five of the past six matchups ... The last meeting was in the quarterfinals of the 1997 WAC Tournament in Las Vegas with the Lobos winning, 65-57 ... The Lobos have connected on 42 percent of their 3-point attempts, averaging 8.3 3-pointers made per game.

Tipoff: 4:05 p.m. in Albuquerque, N.M.

On the air: Live on KCCN (1420-AM) and KFVE (Channel 5)

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http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu