The Ala Moana Hotel Paradise Classic features three women's basketball teams with just one loss and the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine, who lost two close games to nationally ranked opponents. Rainbow Wahine
playing for third shot
at ranked teamBy Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.comTexas Tech, ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press poll, comes in as the favorite. The Lady Raiders (5-1) have won five consecutive games since stumbling in their opener, 85-76 to Louisiana Tech. Since then, they have raced to five victories by averaging 86 points a game on offense while allowing an average of 60 at the other end.
"Texas Tech is just very talented. That's number one," said Hawaii coach Vince Goo. "You know they are going to come in here and be very well-coached. They are year in, year out. Their coach is one of the best around."
Coach Marsha Smart is in her 21st season at Texas Tech, has a career record of 484-154 for a .759 winning percentage and has guided the Lady Raiders into the NCAA tournament the last 13 years.
Texas Tech plays another NCAA tournament team from a year ago in the Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs (6-1) in the first semifinal game tomorrow.
Hawaii (5-2) takes on Loyola Marymount (6-1) in the second game. The Lions are off to their best start in history and presented coach Julie Wilhoit with her 200th career victory earlier this season.
LMU, picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference, has won its last two games without senior forward Kate Murray, the Lions' leading scorer. She suffered an ACL injury in practice Dec. 9 and is out for the season. Jennifer Henry, a 6-foot-3 sophomore center, has stepped into the lineup and averaged 8.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in her two starts.
"The Lions have good speed. They are not real big, but they play a disciplined game. They play smart ball," said Goo.
Claudine Auld leads LMU's remaining scorers with 11 points a game.
The Wahine have received balanced production on offense, with four players averaging in double figures, yet no one has reached the 20-point mark in a game this season. Sophomore Jade Abele tops the list with 12.7 points per game, followed by junior April Atuaia (12.3) and seniors Natasja Allen (12.3) and Christen Roper (11.1).
Roper is tied for 13th in the nation in blocked shots (3 bpg) and tied for 30th in rebounds (10 rpg).
Goo says all the offensive and defensive schemes the Wahine need to finish the nonconference season have been instituted. After this weekend, the team will take a short Christmas break, then return to practice Dec. 27.
"We will add things when we return. These will be variations and options we feel will be good for the talent we have. Right now there is a lot of fatigue as the kids are staying up late studying (for finals)," said Goo.
"Our coaches spend a lot of time studying individual opponents and their tendencies. Our players have to be smart enough to pick on what we see. It becomes easier as the season goes along because we can say this girl we're playing against this week is similar to that girl from a couple of weeks ago."
If the Wahine defenders do their job, the result has opponents taking shots UH wants them to take, not shots they want to take.
Whether or not the Mocs can slow down the high voltage Texas Tech offense is a question that probably gets a quick answer.
Chattanooga has won six consecutive games, including three on the road, by an average of 11 points since losing its opener to Georgia by 21 points. Coach Wes Moore has gone with the same starting five of forwards Jennifer Wilson and Nneka Irons, guards Miranda Warfield and Heather McDivitt and center Tiffany Patton.
Wilson averages 11.7 points per game followed by Warfield and Irons with 9.6 and 9.3 ppg.
The Lady Raiders defeated Oregon State, the team that ended UH's season a year ago, 67-51 Tuesday night. It was Tech's lowest point output of the season, but the defense stepped up, holding OSU scoreless for five-minute spans in both halves.
Jia Perkins leads the Lady Raiders with 19.5 points a game. Plenette Pierson adds 18.3 points a contest and Cisti Greenwalt averages 10.5 ppg.
Notes: The Wahine lead the series with LMU 7-0. Hawaii has not played Tennessee-Chattanooga and has lost both prior games to Texas Tech. ... Raelen Self, a member of two state championship teams at Kamehameha, is a starting guard for the Lions.
What: Ala Moana Hotel Paradise Classic Gameday
When: Tomorrow, Texas Tech vs. Tennessee-Chattanooga, 1 p.m.; Hawaii vs. Loyola Marymount, 3 p.m. Saturday, third-place game, 1 p.m.; championship, 3 p.m.
Where: Stan Sheriff Center.
TV: None.
Radio: Hawaii games live, KKEA, 1420-AM.
Tickets: All seats general admission. $7 adults, $6 seniors, $4 for children (age 4-17) and UH students.
Parking: $3
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