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Star-Bulletin Sports


Sunday, November 11, 2001


[ WAHINE BASKETBALL ]



UH


Freshmen step up in exhibition


By Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.com

The Wahine knew when practice started they had to replace the top three scorers from a year ago.

Freshman Chelsea Wagner and redshirt freshman Jade Abele came off the bench yesterday and demonstrated they might help fill that void in the coming season.

Wagner scored 20 points and Abele had 13 as Hawaii defeated the New Zealand Tall Pines 74-52 in an exhibition game at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Veterans Karena Greeny and Natasja Allen followed with 12 and 11 points.

"Today I felt really comfortable," said Wagner, whose biggest adjustment is being 3,000 miles from her Oregon home. "I wasn't scared to come out on the court. No one was. I was confident because I was out on the court with my team.

"My teammates worked the ball inside and penetrated and that allowed me to get open. I was in the right spot at the right time."

The 5-foot-10 wing made 6 of 9 3-pointers.

Abele sank 3 of 4 from beyond the arc and said practicing with the Wahine the second semester last year was a big help.

"I definitely knew the offense and defense. I got to learn the way the motion was supposed to work, how to fit in with the team and what each other's roles were," Abele said.

The Wahine, who would have scrimmaged themselves yesterday had the exhibition not been arranged, found the Tall Pines to be a worthy opponent. Their shortest player was 5-10.

"I like the New Zealand team because they have a lot of experience and they played very physical," UH coach Vince Goo said. "It showed at times. They just outplayed us around the basket."

Defense in the post area and free-throw shooting certainly will be focused on this coming week in practice. It's difficult to remember the last time the Wahine shot less than 50 percent from the free-throw line, but they were 14-for-29 yesterday.

Goo was pleased with the play of point guard Jana Gabrielova and Michelle Gabriel. He thought the team played with composure at times and picked up the intensity on defense.



UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii



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