[ WAHINE BASKETBALL ]
Wahine to get
first test against
tall China team
For the past three weeks Hawaii coach Vince Goo and his staff have been instructing the Rainbow Wahine players on the finer points of the offensive and defensive schemes the team needs to begin the season.
The exhibition game against the Chinese National Team today will provide the coaches and players insights as to the progress achieved to this point.
Women's basketball
Who: Team China at HawaiiWhen: Today, 5 p.m.
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
TV: None
Radio: None
Tickets: All seats general admission: $5 adults, $4 seniors, UH students and children (age 4-18) admitted free
Parking: $3
Notes: UH coach Vince Goo's staff is the same as last year. Assistants Da Houl and Serenda Valdez are starting their 12th season with the program and Gavin Petersen is in his second. The trainer is Daniel Mar Chong. The manager is former Rainbow Wahine Hedy Liu. ... The Chinese squad features only three athletes less than 6-0 in height, with ages ranging from 17-26. ... In a poll by Loyola College, UH has the fourth-youngest team in the nation with the average age being 19.0.
"We are going to measure the success of this game, not by the final score, but on two points -- if we compete really hard and if we run our offense and defense the way we have practiced," said Goo.
The Chinese National Team, considered to be one of the top 10 teams in the world according to the United States Basketball Academy, defeated host Oregon State 74-73 Wednesday when Wang Ling hit an off-balance jumper with six seconds on the clock.
Ling led China with 18 points. Sui FeiFei scored 16, Chen Luyun had 13 and Miao Lijie added 12.
The Beavers were able to score points with their transition game in the first half to take a 36-34 lead at the break and had success with their pressure defense.
OSU coach Judy Spoelstra told Goo that the Chinese National Team was "very good and that the Beavers' full-court pressure created a lot of turnovers (19)."
"You look at their roster and their point guards are not the typical 5-5 or 5-6 point guard, but go 5-9 and 5-10 and Spoelstra told me they can run," said Goo.
The Wahine will do their thing, which is to run and apply pressure.
"It may not be the proper way to play them, but we need to find out what we have been working on and whether it is good enough at this point," said Goo. "We need to see how good we are and what work we need in different areas."
Goo wants to get as many Wahine as possible playing time so they can show the coaches what they can contribute to the team this season.
He does not plan to name a starting five until just before the game.
