[ WAHINE BASKETBALL ]
UH’s Abele has grown
into leadership
One, two, three ... Not it!
It wasn't quite that simple, but when leadership roles were being parceled out, Hawaii junior Jade Abele wasn't exactly volunteering.
But as one of three experienced returnees to the Rainbow Wahine basketball team, Abele didn't have much of a choice.
"My role, sometimes I get a little flustered," Abele said. "My thing is I just try to work hard. Hopefully, if I work hard, then the rest of the team follows."
The leadership role may have dropped into her lap, but playing basketball was no accident.
As Abele grew up in Australia, basketball was her destiny. Her parents met on the court and her dad used to coach her mom. The 6-foot-1 junior forward spent most of her time in gyms between her parents' numerous games and her own.
"I was at the basketball stadium two days out of the hospital. Mum could've been reffing or playing," she said. "I was dragged around."
Abele can be grateful for an early introduction to the sport. She had a stellar prep career that included three district championships in basketball and two in netball, (a game similar to basketball but without dribbling or player contact) and a stint with the Australian junior national team.
It was far more than her parents, Peter and Susan, had done. Both were life-long basketball players. Peter hung up his "boots" two years ago, but Susan still plays twice a week.
"I always have maintained that Su and I have never achieved higher than what Jade has," said Peter Abele, who is in town for a visit. "We're absolutely proud of that fact. That she has been able to do something that we didn't achieve."
ABELE'S ACHIEVEMENTS in the college game didn't come easily. American cooking agreed with her so much that it prompted Peter to give his daughter some heartfelt advice -- "Stop eating".
"When I came over freshman year, I was introduced to Jack in the Box -- that was a killer. Instead of a freshman 15 over a whole year, Jade was a freshman 30 in one semester. I was eating way too much. It's deadly over here. It's so cheap to get a burger for 99 cents. Those 99-cent menus kill me."
It wasn't just the diet that hurt. Abele wasn't in shape when she arrived in Manoa in the spring of 2001 after graduating school the previous December. Watching her during the early training sessions made the Hawaii coaches wonder what they had brought over.
They need not have worried.
She returned a year later and was an offensive spark when Hawaii needed a lift. Last year, she upped her production (9.7 points per game, 4.1 assists) on a senior-laden team.
Her improvement and the loss of the seniors motivated Abele to stick around last summer to train. The morning workouts and afternoon pickup games paid off last fall. Coming back fit has made a huge difference.
"Usually, when I get tired, I start to do silly things," she said. "Unfortunately with me, they don't come in just ones. They come in twos and threes, but I'm also not on the wing anymore and not trying to force those passes. Instead I'm forcing those shots.
"There's also a different strategy I have to take now cause defense is no longer chasing around the guard. It's more muscle inside. Being inside, I'm not the toughest player. I'm not really as strong. I try to beat the big girls with my footwork. ... I prefer the wing, but playing on offense against a bigger, slower player, that's where I get them back. I do have that speed."
THIS SEASON, the junior started the year with awfully high expectations and the pressure affected her game.
"I definitely wanted to make a big impact this year," Abele said. "This would be my chance.
"My first tournament of the year was an absolute shocker. I just put too much pressure on myself. Vince took me aside and really gave me a good talking to and settled me down a bit."
The statistics reflected as much as she scored a combined 11 points in Hawaii's first two games of the year.
Since then Abele has let the game come to her and it has paid off for Hawaii. She has been the Wahine constant during a tumultuous season. Abele has scored more than 20 points in six games and has led Rainbow Wahine scoring 10 times this season. The junior averages 15.3 points and 6.4 rebounds a game, both team highs.
"I go out there and just try to play hard now," Abele said. "If good things happen then good. I'm not really focusing on statistics and what I have to do. Unfortunately I haven't played too well in the last couple of games."
Hawaii coach Vince Goo would disagree.
"She's having a fine year. Hopefully she continues. We're just happy with what she's doing this year," he said. "She didn't step right into this role from the first time she got here. It took a lot of listening, a lot of corrections, a lot of learning.
"You're really happy when you have a player that turns things around in the right direction. She's one of our better defensive players and she's picking up the big people, too. Her all-around game is really solid."
The change is noticeable even to those who have watched her play at an early age.
"We're grateful she's playing for UH. They've given her the opportunity to reach her peak," said Peter Abele. "I'm so pleased that UH has been able to get something out of her that I didn't. Her work ethic has improved immensely."
Rainbow Wahine basketball
Who: San Jose State at HawaiiWhen: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
TV: None
Radio: None
Tickets: All seats general admission. $7 adults, $6 seniors. UH students with valid ID, children age 4-18 free.
Parking: $3
Probable starters
Hawaii (5-13, 3-6) Ht. Pts. Reb. Ast. G Janevia Taylor (Fr.) 5-5 7.5 3.6 1.6 G Milia Macfarlane (Jr.) 5-5 4.0 2.0 1.4 F Jade Abele (Jr.) 6-1 15.3 6.4 2.4 F Bryony Crouch (Fr.) 5-8 2.1 1.0 0.2 C Brittany Grice (Fr.) 6-4 4.0 4.6 0.2 SAN JOSE STATE (12-6, 4-5) Ht. Pts. Reb. Ast. G Cricket Williams (Sr.) 5-7 14.1 5.7 7.7 G Erica McGlaston (Jr.) 5-7 3.7 3.2 1.9 F Tatiana Taylor (Sr.) 6-0 13.6 6.7 1.2 F Lamisha Augustine (Jr.) 6-1 7.6 4.5 0.8 C Teoma Taylor (Sr.) 6-0 11.7 7.8 0.5
WAC women's standings
Yesterday's games
Conference All games W L Pct. W L Pct. Louisiana Tech. 9 1 .900 16 2 .889 Rice 9 1 .900 12 7 .632 Tulsa 7 3 .700 14 6 .700 UTEP 5 5 .500 10 9 .526 SMU 6 4 .600 10 9 .526 San Jose St. 3 6 .333 12 6 .667 Boise St. 3 7 .300 6 13 .316 Hawaii 3 6 .333 5 13 .278 Nevada 2 8 .200 3 17 .150 Fresno St. 1 9 .100 7 13 .350
Louisiana Tech 85, Fresno St. 52
Tulsa 60, Boise St. 54, OT
SMU 71, Nevada 68
Rice 44, UTEP 40