Tulsa always
a tough opponentUH will try to bust its slump
with a win over the Golden Hurricane
For the Hawaii basketball team, the process of pulling out of its current slump begins tomorrow against a Tulsa squad that has fallen on hard times but remains one of the Rainbow Warriors' chief rivals in the Western Athletic Conference.
Tulsa at Hawaii
When: Tomorrow, 7:05 p.m.
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
TV: Live, KFVE-TV
Radio: Live, 1420-AM
Internet: uhathletics.hawaii.edu
Tickets: Lower level, $16 (single seats only); Upper level (adult) $12; Upper level (student, UH) $5; Super Rooter $8. First 100 UH students with a valid ID through the turnstiles, Free. Parking: $3.
"Tulsa gets up for Hawaii and Hawaii gets up for Tulsa," Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said. "I don't expect anything different."
After losing three road games, Hawaii returns to the Stan Sheriff Center looking to get back on track in its third annual "white-out" game with Tulsa.
The teams have had three games decided in overtime since the 2000-01 season. Their last showdown went to double overtime before UH pulled out a 73-71 win at the Reynolds Center on Jan. 31.
With the Golden Hurricane in ninth place in the WAC, tomorrow's game won't have as much on the line as previous meetings. But it remains a highlight on the schedule for the UH players.
"It's a big rivalry," UH senior Haim Shimonovich said. "Since the first time we took the championship my freshman year, it's always been a big game. It's a big game for us anyway to just stay on top."
"It's always been a big competition between us and Tulsa," UH guard Michael Kuebler said. "No matter how either team's season is turning out, it's always going to be a good game."
Shimonovich and Kuebler are among five Hawaii seniors preparing for their final regular-season homestand at the Sheriff Center as the Rainbows try to stay in the hunt for the WAC regular-season title.
With four losses in its last five games, UH (17-8, 9-5 WAC) dropped from first to fourth place in the conference and an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament now appears out of reach. But they are still within striking distance of first place in the Western Athletic Conference and are looking to get back into a groove heading into the postseason.
"We want to try to win 20-plus (games)," Wallace said. "You still have a chance to win the league, or a share of it, and have the chemistry right going into the tournament."
Tulsa (7-17, 3-11 WAC) enters the game with a seven-game losing streak that began with its loss to UH and continued last Saturday with a 76-56 loss to No. 6 Gonzaga.
The Golden Hurricane feature one of the youngest rosters in the conference, with just one senior, guard Jason Parker, and are 1-11 on the road this season.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
UTEP's Jason Williams took a shot against the defense of Hawaii's Phil Martin during Monday's game.
"We're still hanging in there and feeling like if we can put our best basketball team on the floor playing well we have an opportunity to win," Tulsa coach John Phillips said in this week's WAC teleconference. "We've talked about doing it all year and haven't been successful."
Parker and junior forward Jarius Glenn are the only Tulsa players who have started all 24 games this season. Parker leads Tulsa with 17.8 points per game, while Glenn is second with 12.8 ppg and is the team's top rebounder (6.5 rpg).
Parker, who ranks fourth in the conference in scoring, poured in 26 points in the first meeting between the teams, while Glenn had 15.
Wallace said limiting Tulsa to jump shots has been a key to containing the Hurricane in recent years.
"We've always been able to keep them from getting a lot of layups," he said. "The teams that score on layups beat us. That's why Haim's got to be in there."
Shimonovich returned to the starting lineup for Monday's game at UTEP after missing two games with a sprained knee. He played just seven minutes that night, but Wallace praised Shimonovich's effort in practice yesterday.
"He got up and down the floor and tried to do things. He'll be there," Wallace said.
Although the Rainbows have lost three in a row, their comeback in Monday's 71-62 loss to UTEP provided a bit of momentum. UH cut a 21-point first-half deficit to seven late in the game, but couldn't get over the hump.
"It probably helps knowing that we know we're never out of anything," Kuebler said. "They had us down probably the most we've been down all year and we were able to fight back ... and have a chance to get the game in our hands."
Notes: Fans are encouraged to wear white tops for tomorrow's "white-out" game. ... San Jose State coach Phil Johnson was reprimanded by the school and the WAC yesterday for his verbal confrontation with a fan in the Spartans' game at UTEP on Feb. 19. "While recognizing that the fan's verbal harassment of Coach Johnson throughout the game led to the confrontation, under no circumstances can a coach allow himself to be placed in a situation that jeopardizes the safety of the players and fans in the arena," SJSU athletic director Chuck Bell said in a statement.
WAC standings
Conference All Games W L Pct. W L Pct. UTEP 11 4 .733 20 5 .800 Rice 10 4 .714 19 7 .731 Nevada 10 5 .667 17 8 .680 Hawaii 9 5 .643 17 8 .680 Boise St. 9 6 .600 17 8 .680 Fresno St. 8 7 .533 12 13 .480 Louisiana Tech 7 7 .500 13 11 .542 SMU 4 10 .286 10 14 .417 Tulsa 3 11 .214 7 17 .292 San Jose St. 1 13 .071 6 18 .250
Today (All times Hawaii time)
UTEP at Louisiana Tech, 3 p.m.
Boise State at SMU, 3 p.m.
Tomorrow
Rice at San Jose State, 5 p.m.
Tulsa at Hawaii, 7:05 p.m.
