Tuesday, March 27, 2001

Wahine season
bumpy, but
a success

From early season
question marks to the WNIT
final four, UH was resilient

By Al Chase
Star-Bulletin

The bottom line for any team to consider a season successful is measured by the number of victories.

In the 2000-01 campaign, the University of Hawaii Wahine basketball team recorded 26 wins, the second highest total ever in the program's history.

But it wasn't easy. Entering the season, the team had to replace four seniors, three of whom were starters. A starting point guard had to emerge from the candidates, and the newcomers had to contribute.

These were major questions, and the coaching staff didn't know how long it would take to find answers.

"What we needed to happen was to have the work ethic narrow between the newcomers and the veterans," head coach Vince Goo said. "It happened totally. Jana Gabrielova, April Atuaia and Christa Brossman were right there.

"It's an ongoing process that you can only assess at the end of the year. We watched carefully all year for any change, but they proved themselves all year long."

The season had its bumps --times when disappointment could have generated a lasting effect -- but the Wahine refused to let that happen.

This team was resilient.

In the Thanksgiving Tournament, Hawaii lost a game to Arizona State it should have won, but came back the next night to battle Arkansas down to the final whistle.

After losing their conference season opener to Texas Christian in overtime, the Wahine returned two nights later to down Southern Methodist by 18 points.

The home loss to San Jose State could have been devastating, but the Wahine won their next seven games, including three on the road. And they crushed San Jose State by 30 points on the road following a tough, four-point defeat at Rice.

A defection just before the Women's National Invitation Tournament was met with a resolve that produced three exciting victories. The team finally attracted a fan following that grew with each game and was overdue.

The season-ending defeat at New Mexico was the only time all season the Wahine were not close.

Gabrielova made positive strides throughout the season. "If you look at her first five games and her last five games, there was major improvement," Goo said. "Her composure was the key factor and she never stopped playing defense for 40 minutes."

Atuaia can only benefit from a freshman season that was solid but not without mistakes. Without fear, she took on the tough assignment of guarding opposing wing players known for their scoring ability.

"April has the skills," Goo said. "She needs to polish up her shooting. We asked a lot of her as a freshman."

Brossman came here with a reputation as a defensive player and managed that role well. She understands the need to improve her offense.

"I'm going to spend the summer being a gym rat with Washington State players," Brossman said.

Dainora Puida and Christen Roper, both healthy all season, gave Hawaii a height presence the Wahine haven't enjoyed for some time. They helped the team set a single-season record for rebounds, and Roper doubled the previous record for blocked shots with 96.

Crystal Lee carried her production from the final five games of 1999-2000 through all 34 games this season. She finished as the leading scorer with 544 points, the eighth Wahine in history to top the 500 mark in a single season.

Michelle Gabriel, Natasja Allen and Karena Greeny all gained more experience and will be counted on to step up more next season.

"Every year we need new people to step in, and we expect the people returning to be better," Goo said. "This season was like a book made up of 34 chapters," Goo said. "If you remember all the chapters, it was a heck of a story."

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