TULSA, Okla. >> An offensive weapon in volleyball, Kim Willoughby became an offensive threat in basketball yesterday. Willoughby a force in the
paint against LaTechBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comThough the Rainbow Wahine lost 53-50 to Louisiana Tech in the championship of the Western Athletic Conference tournament, Willoughby finally found what she had buried for awhile -- her scoring abilities.
The volleyball All-American poured in 12 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for the second double-double of her career.
The basketball freshman joined the Wahine following the volleyball season. While it has taken some time for her to learn the Wahine offense, she's grateful to the coaches for being patient with her. Defense and rebounding, her strengths, came back to her quickly, but offense has taken longer.
"At first, I just wanted to play defense. I was really comfortable on defense," Willoughby said. "But I wanted to be an offensive threat too. I'm still not there."
She got close yesterday, going 4-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.
Her usual defensive touch was there too.
Known for clutch play in tight volleyball matches, Willoughby's defensive efforts limited Louisiana Tech's Ayana Walker, the tournament MVP, to three first half points. She had four defensive rebounds in the first half and added eight more rebounds in the second as Hawaii outrebound Louisiana Tech 42-33.
"She played great," Hawaii coach Vince Goo said. "She went against their big people and rebounded very well and defended exceptionally well in the first half."
Her efforts didn't go unnoticed, as she was selected to the WAC all-tournament team. It was her first basketball honor since high school, when she was the two-time Louisiana state player of the year. Willoughby has earned numerous volleyball awards, including the WAC tournament MVP, but is still a rookie in basketball.
"(The basketball season) has been much more than I expected," Willoughby said. "I didn't expect to play, especially this much. I didn't expect to make a difference. Other coaches were telling me I made a big difference."
She did when Hawaii trailed early in the first half. Willoughby kept the Wahine in the game and though she didn't score in the second half, she has no regrets overall.
"I don't have any 'could've, would've, should'ves.' We went hard every single minute," Willoughby said. "Going into the game, we weren't looking at them as Louisiana Tech. We were looking at them as really cocky. We wanted to show them that we're better than they think we are. What they did to us, I could do to them."
And just as she's finding her offensive rhythm, she's hoping the Wahine can keep playing.
"We want to get into the tournament to play good teams," Willoughby said. "Whether we get into the NCAA or the NIT, it's a championship."
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