[ RAINBOW BASKETBALL ]
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Phil Martin took a shot over SMU's Patrick Simpson as UH's Haim Shimonovich, left, looked on.
’Bows lose
Shimonovich
to knee injuryThe Hawaii center suffered
a sprained right knee
in Saturday’s win over
Southern Methodist
The Hawaii basketball team embarks on a critical three-game road trip today without its man in the middle.
Rainbow Warrior center Haim Shimonovich suffered a sprained right knee in Saturday's 62-59 win over Southern Methodist and will miss Hawaii's Western Athletic Conference game at Boise State on Wednesday.
"It's very disappointing," Shimonovich said after the team completed its practice at the Stan Sheriff Center yesterday afternoon. He suited up for the workout with a brace on his knee, but later went into the training room for treatment.
Shimonovich did not leave with the team and is scheduled to have an MRI performed on the knee today or tomorrow to determine the extent of the injury. If the prognosis is good, he could rejoin the squad for Saturday's ESPN Bracket Busters game at Southern Illinois or for a WAC game at Texas-El Paso next Monday.
"They want to see if there's any structural damage in there," Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said. "If the swelling goes down and it looks like it's responding, they'll fly him to St. Louis for the Bracket Buster or to El Paso for that game. If not we'll leave him over here and try to get him ready for the stretch run.
"You have to have him at the end of the year, so if we can get him healthy that will be better."
Wallace said 6-foot-8 junior Jeff Blackett will make his first start of the season in the front court along with forwards Phil Martin and Julian Sensley as the Rainbows (17-5, 9-3 WAC) try to maintain their hold on first place in the WAC against Boise State (15-8, 7-6).
"I just have to keep doing what he's been doing," said Blackett, who is averaging 6.2 points and 2.8 rebounds.
"When you're taking someone's place you have to do exactly what they do every night which for him is scoring at crucial times and getting those rebounds that we need."
Hawaii also has depth inside with senior Paul Jesinskis (6-foot-8) and sophomore Milos Zivanovic (6-foot-11).
Zivanovic contributed some key minutes in the first half of Saturday's game after Shimonovich picked up two fouls. He pulled down five rebounds in 12 minutes of play.
"Blackett's game-tested -- he's had some great games for us," Wallace said. "Milos looks like he's ready to play and Paul's been playing well."
Shimonovich, a 6-foot-10, 275-pound senior, said he injured the knee with about five minutes remaining. He stayed on the floor and finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. He scored all of his points in the second half, going 5-for-5 from the field after halftime.
"We don't have him last night and we probably lose because of what he did down the stretch offensively," Wallace said yesterday.
Shimonovich also came up with two blocked shots in the final minute to preserve the win.
"It was hurting, but I just kept on going," Shimonovich said.
Shimonovich, one of the team's co-captains, is averaging 7.5 points and seven rebounds per game and leads the WAC with 35 blocked shots.
The Rainbows will next face a Boise State team coming off a 55-44 win at Fresno State on Saturday.
After winning two games on a three-game homestand, Hawaii must now face three teams that have rarely lost on their home courts this season, combining for a 32-6 record. Southern Illinois is 10-1 at home this season, while UTEP is 14-1.
Southern Illinois has billed the Bracket Busters game as "Saluki Maroon Out" night in which fans are encouraged to wear maroon tops. The school has already sold out its allotment of student tickets.
"It's a long trip and three very tough teams. We just have to carry on from (Saturday's) win and just get better," Sensley said.
