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Thursday, March 1, 2001
Wahine Aloha WINNERS. That's the word University of Hawaii women's basketball head coach Vince Goo used to describe his three seniors.
Galloway, Lee and Puida play
their final home game tonightBy Al Chase
Star-BulletinKylie Galloway, Crystal Lee and Dainora Puida play their final collegiate home game tonight when the Wahine play Texas El Paso at the Stan Sheriff Center at 7.
They are different personalities with different basketball skills. They understand their roles and provide the 2000-2001 Wahine team with invaluable leadership.
Galloway and Lee start. Puida comes off the bench. But in a program that thrives on the team concept, they are the top three scorers and will be missed next year.
Each has made necessary adjustments,
overcome individual adversities and doubts, received accolades and will tell you the "W" on any given night is more important than their achievements.
Galloway, the 6-foot power forward from Elwood, Australia, transferred to UH after playing a year at San Jose State. She sat out the required redshirt year, then earned WAC first team honors in her first UH season.
A medical redshirt year followed due to a severe ankle injury and the birth of her son Kyrin.
She came back a year ago for another outstanding season, but admits when this year is done she will be ready for a break from the wear and tear on her body.
Lee, a 5-11 wing player from Spokane, Wash., is enjoying her best season after giving some thought to ending her career a year ago.
Puida, a 6-4 center from Siauliai, Lithuania, via Weatherford College in Texas, arrived here as the recent bride of UH men's player Nerijus Puida and was thrust into a new system. An old knee injury surfaced early in her first season.
That, the knee brace and not meeting her own expectations led to frustration. Off-season surgery fixed the medical problem and a year of learning the Wahine system has paid off this year.
On Hawaii's first road trip in January, Christa Brossman discovered what a relief it is to have veteran teammates who take responsibility beyond the court. Brossman received the sad news the day between the Tulsa and UTEP games that a close friend had died in a car accident.
Galloway and Lee went to her room and told Brossman if she needed anything, just turn to them. Galloway then asked to have Brossman room with her the rest of the trip.
"That was the time to have her there. I felt like I could tell her how I felt. I wasn't afraid to cry in front of her or talk to my parents or anything," Brossman said.
"She's a great player. I look up to her game. Just having her there, especially at that time, was really comforting. Later, I got a card from my team and I heard Kylie was the one who purchased it."
Lee says patience was the key word during four years as a Wahine. She used a line from the song "Can't Buy Me Love" to describe her metamorphosis from "totally geek to totally chic."
"I went from riding the pine to playing, to fighting for a spot, to cutting moments to where I'm leading the team in scoring. I've been where you can be on this team," Lee said.
"But it's not so much about basketball, but about the life skills I've gained here. It definitely was a good experience. It taught me a lot for sure. I think if it had been handed to me in the beginning I wouldn't have appreciated it as much."
Galloway gives a lot of credit to the coaching staff.
"I came into the program perhaps a rebel, perhaps a hooligan, and some people might say I've really matured," Galloway said. "I've learned a lot of things under this coaching staff. Serenda (Valdez) and Da (Houl) have been a big part of my life on and off the court."
Puida can't believe her two years here have gone by so fast.
"It's just a great experience to be part of this team, to be part of this program," Puida said.
"I think it's one of the best times of my life, being in college, getting my degree, playing basketball and living in paradise.
"I can only thank the coaches for being so patient and my teammates who tried to help me overcome problems."
Said Galloway: "The people really care about you as players and people. That I've grown into the person I am today is a reflection of the program.
"There are a lot of people who helped me, especially with Kyrin, enabling me to play these last two years. I can't put into words how much those people mean to me. Gavin Petersen, our manager, his parents, Hedy Liu's parents and a whole bunch of people.
"Last year I lost Hedy and Raylene (Howard). Now, I'm losing the whole program. I don't know how I'm going to handle that."
Lee is looking forward to tonight.
"The feeling of hitting a shot and hearing the crowd yell, that's a nice feeling. And I won't get that again," she said.
Intensity, determination, ambition -- three more words to describe Galloway, Lee and Puida.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii