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Sports Watch
THEY just came off yet another winless road trip, losing for the seventh straight time away from the friendly confines of Stan Sheriff Center. Riley’s review: Hannibal
and road trip grossHawaii basketball coach Riley Wallace probably felt a team prayer might be a little too late.
Instead, Wallace thought a little team togetherness would be more beneficial. So they all went to a movie together.
What better flick to see after getting eaten up by Nevada and Fresno State last week than "Hannibal."
"I liked it, the guys loved it," Wallace said. "They tell me that I looked like Hannibal."
Wallace admitted the movie was gross. But then, it was more enjoyable than watching films of the Nevada and Fresno State games.
Come to think of it, all three fall in the horror category, deserving of an R-rating. Youngsters shouldn't be subjected to them.
It was a two-game road trip that Wallace and his Rainbows would like to forget.
It was 16 degrees in Reno and, because it was snowing, the team bus had to have snow chains on the ride to Fresno, where it was rainy and cold. Utterly miserable.
"Just like our games," Wallace said.
Getting beat up by 25 at Fresno wasn't surprising. The 23rd-ranked 'Dogs were ready for the 'Bows this time after getting blown out, 91-73, at "The Stanley."
They wanted revenge in the worst way, and got it.
The Reno game, though, was winnable, even if the Rainbows had struggled to beat Nevada here the week before.
Unfortunately, Predrag Savovic, who scored only six points and didn't play good defense, had his worst game of the season against Nevada.
Losing every road game so far this season isn't because of a jinx or jet lag, Wallace will be the first to admit.
"You have to have quickness and inner strength in order to turn it up a notch, especially on the road," he said.
Those are the two glaring weaknesses this season for the Rainbows, who are 10-12 overall and 4-7 in the WAC.
They have five games left. Three at home, including two this Thursday and Saturday against Southern Methodist and Rice, respectively.
"SMU's very good. They're in second place and Rice turned around and beat TCU again," Wallace said.
UH plays Texas Christian Feb. 22 and ends the regular season on the road against San Jose State and Texas-El Paso.
"We win at home, we don't have trouble making the tournament," Wallace said.
HE wants to avoid at all costs the play-in game between the conference's eighth- and ninth-place teams to get into the WAC Tournament March 7-10 in Tulsa, Okla.
The Rainbows are in seventh place, one game ahead of the Spartans (3-8) and two up on the Wolf Pack (2-9).
Finally having 6-foot-10 Haim Shimonovich -- ruled ineligible by the NCAA until this week -- for the rest of the season will help immensely.
He's the big body that Wallace didn't have under the boards to help out Troy Ostler, who's more of a strong forward than a legitimate center.
Wallace loses four players this season, and you can bet that at least two new recruits will be point guards. That position has been Wallace's biggest headache all year.
Meanwhile, Wallace has already acquired a secret weapon to use against his golf opponents when the season ends: An ERC-II Callaway driver banned by the USGA.
"I'm not a pro, I can use it," Wallace said. "June Jones used it and he said the driver definitely goes farther."