UNLV knocks off Rainbow Wahine

There would be no second-half rally this time for the Hawaii women's basketball team.

Host UNLV held Hawaii to 12 points in the first half and fended off the Rainbow Wahine in the semifinals of the Duel in the Desert for a 67-54 win last night in Las Vegas.

The Wahine (4-6) face No. 10 Florida State (10-1) in the third-place game today at 3 p.m. Hawaii time. DePaul upset the Seminoles and faces UNLV for the tourney title at 5:30 p.m.

Breanna Arbuckle led UH with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

'Iolani graduate Jamie Smith grabbed 17 rebounds for UNLV (6-5), one off her career high.

UH's Shoji likely to get a bonus

TAMPA, Fla. » Dave Shoji will likely receive a bonus from the University of Hawaii for being named national volleyball coach of the year and leading the Rainbow Wahine to the final four, athletic director Jim Donovan told the Star-Bulletin.

But the bonus requires approval from the school's Board of Regents, likely in February, Donovan said.

“;I have a number in my head, but don't want to disclose it yet,”; the athletic director said.

Shoji makes $189,000 per year, but his contract does not include specific incentive clauses. UH regularly leads the nation in attendance, and is one of the few college volleyball programs that turns a profit.

Hawaii ended its season at 32-3 with its semifinal loss to Penn State on Thursday.

Shoji, 63, won his 1,000th match this past season, all with UH. He said he plans to continue coaching UH through the three years of his current contract extension, but is undecided beyond that.

Mueller hangs on to win Hawaii State Open

Jesse Mueller of Mesa, Ariz., closed with an 8-under 64 on the Fazio course at Turtle Bay yesterday to win the Hawaii State Open by seven shots with a 54-hole total of 19-under 197.

The winner of the 2009 Hawaii Pearl Open held off PGA Tour veteran Dean Wilson by seven shots. Wilson closed with a 6-under 66 to finish second at 12-under 204.

Tadd Fujikawa, who like Wilson received a sponsor's exemption in next month's Sony Open in Hawaii, was sixth at 7-under 209 after shooting a 68 yesterday in an event that drew a record 252 participants.

The senior division winner was Kirk Nelson, who turned 50 last Monday, at 10-under 206. LPGA Tour member Katie Kempter won the women's division in a playoff. She birdied the second playoff hole to defeat Cyd Okino and Xyra Suyetsugu, both of Honolulu.

PACWEST PLACE

HPU rolls to victory

Jazzmin Awa-Williams recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead Hawaii Pacific to a 70-59 victory over Pacific (Ore.) in the Hoop N Surf Classic yesterday at Kilauea District Gym.

Mana Hopkins added 14 points and nine rebounds and Paris Gravely chipped in 11 points as the Sea Warriors (3-3) outrebounded the Boxers 57-37.

Rochelle Reeves-Howe of Pacific (3-4) led all scorers with 22 points.

» Keisha Gordon and Elise Kuenzi tied for the team-high with 14 points to lead George Fox to a 57-39 win over Chaminade last night in the same tournament.

Kayci Will scored a game-high 15 points to lead the Silverswords (1-4), who shot 30 percent (14-for-46) from the field and committed 19 turnovers.