Monday, November 22, 1999
Arizona
holds off Wahine
Hawaii puts up 52 points in a
By Al Chase
second-half rally, but the 24th-ranked
Wildcats prevail in the Hawaiian
Regent Classic title game
Star-BulletinThree games into the season the Hawaii women's basketball team has to find positives to build upon.
Although the outburst wasn't enough to pull out a victory, the Wahine scored 52 points in the second half against No. 25 Arizona yesterday in the final game of the Hawaiian Regent Classic.
"That's more than we scored in our first game and one less than we scored in our second game so maybe we can play some offense," UH head coach Vince Goo said.
The Wildcats (3-0) won their three games by an average of 15 points to claim the season-opening tournament title.
Arizona fashioned a 43-21 halftime lead by scoring the final 16 points before the break. The veteran Wildcats took advantage of three Wahine starters -- Kyla Evers, Christen Roper and Hedy Liu -- sitting on the bench with two personal fouls.
The Wahine (1-2) cut the deficit to eight points once and nine twice in the second half, but UA head coach Joan Bonvicini's team refused to be rattled and won, 86-73.
"I knew Hawaii would come back and make a run. Their Australian players, (Raylene) Howard and (Kylie) Galloway are very versatile and their post players did a nice job," Bonvicini said. "But, down the stretch we showed a lot of poise.
"When you play three games in three days your team has to show they can adjust to different styles of play and show they have depth. It helped to have veteran players, particularly tonight."
Elizabeth Pickney, the tournament MVP who led UA with 20 points, Lisa Griffith and Angela Lackney all contributed timely baskets in the second half that slowed the Wahine charge.
Hawaii's shooting percentages through the first five halves of the tournament were low. The Wahine field goal percentage was .305 (40-of-131) and from 3-point land they were .205 (8-for-39).
In the second half yesterday they hit 17-of 30 field goal attempts (.567) and 6-of-10 3-point shots (.600).
It was the first time the team appeared together with the offense. The Wahine were credited with 13 assists after intermission. They had just five in the first half and only 12 combined in the first two tournament games.
Galloway, third in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage two years ago, connected on 4-of-5 3 pointers in the second half after going 3 for 13 to start the season.
"Our players have to feel comfortable with it, feel relaxed and just go fire away," Goo said.
Galloway led all scorers with 22 points. Evers added 13 and Howard finished with 11.
Dainora Puida saw 33 minutes of action. The 6-foot-4 center scored four points and pulled down eight defensive rebounds.
"I can play, but I'm still learning," Puida said. "I know most of the offense, but I need to practice more. I missed three weeks of practice (while resting her injured right knee).
Roper, the 6-5 freshman center, made her first start for UH and contributed seven points.
"We need to give Christen playing time," Goo said. "She's not a typical freshman because usually a typical freshman comes in not ready, but she came to play."
Roper looked more settled and focused yesterday than she did in her debut Friday. Her moves to the basket were more controlled and she banked the ball off the glass into the basket with a more delicate touch.
The Wahine have today off, then practice for three days before the Asahi Rainbow Wahine Classic begins Friday.
"The thing I saw this weekend is we've got a determined bunch. We can be down and come back," Goo said. "I learned we're in pretty good physical condition.
"We need to get everybody healthy and we definitely need to get some of our second line people ready to play basketball. And, some aren't right now, people we were counting on."
Tennesse Tech finished third by defeating Oklahoma, 74-64.
NOTE: Seniors Hedy Liu and Raylene Howard are the Wahine captains for 1999-2000.
"I think we're two pretty even people. We won't get in anybody's face," Howard said. "It's a role I'm happy to take on."
"I'm just a spokesman for the team if anyone has something to tell the coach," Liu said.
Both agree that if something has to be said to a teammate, a quiet, to-the-point, one-on-one talk is the best way to go.
Wildcats (3-0) Arizona 86, Hawaii 73
fg fga ft fta min reb a tp Griffith 5 8 1 2 27 7 6 14 Bristol 0 1 0 0 7 1 0 0 Brase 2 6 3 4 22 2 3 9 Crank 2 4 0 0 28 3 3 5 Willis 2 6 2 2 26 2 7 6 Lackey 7 14 1 2 24 5 0 15 Warren 2 7 2 2 10 4 1 6 Pickney 7 13 6 9 30 8 0 20 Taylor 1 1 0 0 11 4 0 2 Brown 3 6 3 4 15 4 0 9 Team 3 Totals 31 66 18 25 200 43 17 86Wahine (1-2)
fg fga ft fta min reb a tp Galloway 7 15 4 4 39 5 6 22 Forsberg 0 1 0 0 8 0 0 0 McMeekn-Rusco 2 4 2 2 10 1 3 7 Kohler 0 0 0 0 6 1 0 0 Roper 3 3 1 3 7 1 1 7 Lee 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 Liu 4 9 1 1 20 4 1 9 Evers 3 9 5 6 32 5 5 13 Allen 0 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 Howard 4 8 3 4 40 5 1 11 Puida 2 8 0 2 33 8 1 4 Team 3 Totals 25 58 16 23 200 33 18 73Key--fg: field goals; fga: field goals attempted; ft: free throws; fta: free throws attempted; min: minutes; reb: rebounds; a: assists; tp: total points.3-point goals--UA (6-15): Griffith 3-5, Brase 2-5, Crank 1-3, Bristol 0-1, Willis 0-1.UH (7-18): Evers 2-3, Galloway 4-8, McKeeken-Ruscoe 1-3, Puida 0-1, Howard 0-2. Personal fouls--UA 22, UH 19. Fouled out--none. Steals--UA 12 (Griffith 3), UH 4 (Evers, Allen, Howard, Puida). Blocked shots--UA 5 (Taylor 2), UH 3 (Puida 3). Turnovers--UA 17 (Lackey, Warren 3), UH 20 (Galloway 6). Officials--Gaxiola, Lewis, Tanibe. A-892.
Golden Eaglettes 74, Sooners 64
TENNESSEE TECH: Isom 1-2 3-6 5, Bird 0-0 0-0 0, Garrett 2-3 0-1 4, Kendall 0-0 0-0 0, Parks 1-8 0-0 3, Gobble 3-5 0-0 9, Clark 2-5 8-10 13, Carmichael 7-7 0-2 15, Holt 0-2 4-4 4, Seng 8-13 5-7 21. Totals: 24-45 20-29 74.
OKLAHOMA: D. Taylor 0-1 0-0 0, Hill 2-9 1-2 5, Hardeman 2-4 0-0 6, Cunningham 0-0 0-0 0, Caufield, 5-15, 5-5 15, Dales 2-13, 3-5 8, Seeley 2-10 0-0 4, Britt 0-0 0-0 0, Whaley 11-22 3-4 26, Selmon 0-1 0-0 0 Totals 24-75 12-16 64.
Halftime-Tennessee Tech 33, Oklahoma 30.
3-Point Goals-Tennessee Tech (6-18) Carmichael 1-1, Gobble 3-4, Clark 1-4, Parks 1-7, Garrett 0-1, Isom 0-1. Oklahoma (4-12) Hardeman 2-3, Dales 1-2, Whaley 1-2, Seeley 0-1, Caufield 0-2, Hill 0-2. Fouled out-Dales. Rebounds-TT 43 (Seng, Garrett 7),Okla. 36 (Whaley 11). Assists-TT 12 (Garrett 4). Okla. 12 (Dales 5). Steals-TT 6 (Seng, Carmichael 2), Okla. 12 (Dales 5). Turnovers-TT 20 (Garrett, Holt 5), Okla. 9 (Caufield 3). Total fouls-TT 20, Okla. 22.
All-Tournament team
Janet Holt, Tennessee Tech; Phylesha Whaley, Oklahoma; Felecity Willis, Arizona; Tatum Brown, Arizona, Raylene Howard, Hawaii.
MVP: Elizabeth Pickney, Arizona.
