Carter’s time
finally comes
Another home game and another seemingly forgotten player comes out of oblivion to spark the Hawaii basketball team to a victory.
Two weeks ago it was unknown junior guard Jake Sottos helping the Rainbows beat Southern Methodist. Last night against Tulsa it was senior guard Jason Carter, an erratic but electric player who had logged all of 24 minutes in UH's previous four games.
In fact, the last time the home crowd saw Carter, he was slumped back in his chair on the bench, having not played at all in the win against SMU.
When he did get to play briefly last week at Southern Illinois, he performed poorly, with four turnovers in six minutes.
But Carter displayed his potential last night, scoring 11 points and dealing five assists in 22 minutes coming off the bench in Hawaii's 92-62 win to break a three-game losing streak.
The best stat was Carter's one turnover. UH had only six as a team, a season low.
Carter hit two key 3-pointers in the first half, including the bucket that gave UH the lead it would keep.
"We had a good flow. Everyone was running," Carter said. "When we run it's easier for me because I can see the whole court well."
Carter's defense was also important, as he was assigned to Tulsa's best player, guard Jason Parker. He helped limit Parker to 12 points on four-of-12 shooting from the floor and forced him into five turnovers and only one assist.
" 'J' was in Parker all night," UH guard Michael Kuebler said. "I know he got frustrated. We were able to stop them from running their stuff."
UH coach Riley Wallace was also pleased.
"JC stayed in the game because of his defense. He was giving Parker fits," Wallace said. "He ran the fast break under control."
The Rainbows also got solid bench contributions from Sottos and forwards Vaidotas Peciukas, Jeff Blackett and Paul Jesinskis.
"At the start of the game we were sluggish," Wallace said. "We brought the bench in and they picked us up with energy."
Wallace said there's no telling if Carter will continue to play well or revert to the player who made one of five shots with three assists and six turnovers in the three losses on UH's last road trip.
"It's very difficult when you have a street game and you try to refine it. He's done it a few times, but you have to pick your spots with him," Wallace said.
Toughing it out: Hawaii senior forward Phil Martin kept his consecutive starts streak alive at 96 despite a badly sprained left ankle.
He scored the Rainbows' first point of the game on a free throw, and hit a layup off a nifty feed from sophomore forward Julian Sensley to give Hawaii a 5-2 lead less than two minutes into the game.
Martin played the first 5:32 before being replaced by Peciukas.
Martin also tied the school record of 120 career games set by Phil Lott.
On the run: Honolulu Marathon president Jim Barahal presented a $10,000 donation to UH athletic director Herman Frazier during the first half.
Frazier said the money will likely go toward the program's scholarship fund.
