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Star-Bulletin Sports


Tuesday, December 18, 2001


[WAHINE BASKETBALL]



UH



art
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Christen Roper went up against Charlotte's Alicia Abernathy in last night's game. The Wahine won, 82-59.




49ers are no
match for Hawaii

Greeny, Roper and Allen
lead Wahine to 82-59 victory
over NC-Charlotte

Willoughby makes hoops debut


By Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.com

Hawaii moved into tonight's championship game of the Ala Moana Hotel Paradise Classic against Cleveland State by defeating North Carolina-Charlotte, 82-59, last night before 888 fans at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The Wahine (6-2) made a run at the end of the first half to take a nine-point lead at intermission, then took control of the game with a 13-0 spurt two-thirds of the way through the second half. In that last run, Christen Roper scored the first four points, Christa Brosmann put down a fast-break layup and Natasja Allen scored the next seven points as UH worked the ball inside three consecutive times and took a 67-47 lead.

Karena Greeny scored a career-high 16 points for the Wahine. Roper finished with 14 points and Allen followed with 13.

Alicia Abernathy paced the 49ers with 15 points.

Kim Willoughby made her basketball debut at the 14:23 mark of the second half. She mishandled a half-court pass from Janka Gabrielova on her first play, but picked up her first rebound at the other end, then scored her first points on a five-foot jumper from the right side moments later at 13:28. It was a busy first minute for the Wahine volleyball All-American.

In the first game, Erika Roudebush scored 36 points to lead the Cleveland State Vikings to a 92-79 victory over the Tennessee State Lady Tigers.

The Vikings (4-3) slowly expanded a 10-point halftime lead to 19 points midway through the second half by holding Tennessee State to 2-for-19 from the field in the first nine minutes after intermission.

The Lady Tigers (1-6) were led by forward LaRissa Thomas who scored 38 points on 10-for-24 shooting from the field.


Willoughby makes
debut with Wahine

Hawaii's All-American volleyball
player scores 5 points in first
game with basketball team


By Grace Wen

gwen@starbulletin.com

Clad in long braids and shorts to her knees, it wasn't the uniform Wahine volleyball standout Kim Willoughby was used to wearing.

But the first team All-American wasn't playing her normal sport.

A freshman in basketball, Willoughby made her collegiate debut yesterday against North Carolina-Charlotte.

Willoughby didn't play at all in the first half but when she entered the game with 14 minutes and 23 seconds left in the second half much of the Stan Sheriff crowd of 888 -- including Hawaii volleyball coach Dave Shoji -- broke into applause.

Willoughby was admittedly nervous and looked surprised when Hawaii basketball coach Vince Goo called her into the game. She seemed uncomfortable at first, and spent more time tucking in her uniform, a pair of baggy shorts and a loose-fitting jersey which is the exact opposite of the close fitting uniform she dons for volleyball.

"I'm so use to my shirt fitting so much tighter and I still try to wear my spandex under but my shorts fall down. It's different," Willoughby said.

But she contributed a little bit of everything in the Wahine's 82-59 rout of the 49ers.

In seven minutes of total playing time, Willoughby had her first turnover, grabbed her first rebound, scored for the first time on a five-foot jumper, converted 3 of 5 free throws, stole a ball and committed her first foul.

"It felt weird," the 6-foot forward said. "I'm so used to practice. It's really easy in practice but just to go out and actually do it ...it was interesting. It reminded me of my first volleyball game. I was just nervous not knowing what I was going to do when I did get in. But as it went on I relaxed.

"The first play was a mistake. I was wide open down the court and I fumbled the pass. Then the girls just talked me through and they reminded me that it's just like practice."

Goo said that Willoughby performed decently for her first night.

"She made her first free throw, made her first turnover, it was par for the course," Goo said. "But she looked comfortable out there."

She should after more practice and a few more games.

Willoughby was a two-time Louisiana state player of the year.

She scored over 2,000 points and was a four-time all-state selection in basketball. She was a late addition to the team so she's not listed in the Wahine basketball media guide. But her career aspirations include being a professional volleyball or basketball player.



UH Athletics



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