Wahine start WAC season at Boise State, UTEP

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

They've passed the first test: win a tournament at home.

Now the University of Hawai'i Wahine basketball team faces its next challenge: the road.

Coming off a convincing win against Cleveland State that clinched the Ala Moana Hotel Paradise Classic tournament title, the Wahine (7-2) are in Idaho to play Boise State at 4 p.m. (Hawai'i time) today.

It's the first meeting between the two programs. And the Wahine's first road trip of the season.

That combination can make any coach nervous.

"We're really concerned about ourselves, not so much our opponents," UH head coach Vince Goo said, "not being on the road before. It's the first road trip for our team with a bunch of youngsters."

Three starters and eight letterwinners have returned for the Wahine. But the real test will be how well this team as a whole — the combination of road veterans and rookies — handles playing in an unfamiliar setting, against an unknown opponent, in a different time zone.

"They need to focus and concentrate and play smart on the road," Goo said. "That's making the adjustments. That's some of the ingredients for a team to be successful on the road."

Having key players in the groove doesn't hurt either.

Junior center Christen Roper felt her game come together during the Paradise Classic, earning tournament MVP honors and scoring a career-high 22 points in the win against the Vikings. She's the school's all-time leader in blocked shots with 157, 39 so far this season.

The 6-foot-5 California native hustles on both ends of the court: She leads the team in rebounds, averaging 8.6 per game, and is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 12.9 points per game.

"She has such a better understanding of what we want, a better understanding of how to keep herself in control," Goo said. "That's what has made her stand out."

The addition of Wahine volleyball player Kim Willoughby has added some lift to the team, thanks to her quickness and athletic prowess. In two games she is averaging 5.5 points and four rebounds per game. She is expected to play this weekend.

"She's been such a quick learner," Goo said. "Everyone knows she has a lot of athletic ability. But she has the basketball smarts to go along with it."

The Broncos (4-6) have their own offensive weapons, including a solid post tandem and quick-draw guards. Senior forward Christa Peterson leads Boise State in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Junior guard Abby Vaughn is also averaging in double figures in scoring at 10.9 points.

"They handle the ball well and shoot well," Goo said. "They're a solid team. But we can be pretty good."

On Sunday the Wahine conclude their Western Athletic Conference road trip in El Paso, Texas to face UTEP, which has never won a game against Hawai'i in eight meetings.

Junior guard/forward Dragana Zoric leads the Miners in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.3 points and 9.5 boards per game, while shooting 86 percent from the charity stripe. Fellow junior Kimya Murray averages 14.7 points and 2.5 steals per game.

Coming off a win against New Mexico State, the Miners (2-6) are gaining a bit of momentum after starting the season 0-5. But shooting a mere 35 percent from the field and averaging 24 turnovers a game isn't going to help them against the Wahine, who make teams pay for their mistakes.

And Hawai'i has only gotten better on defense.

"We really stepped up our defensive game," Goo said. "Everyone is playing smarter, not making the mistakes we made early in the preseason."

Sure, these teams have losing records this season, but Goo doesn't take any opponent lightly. And not on this trip, the team's first road experience.

"We always go on the road," he said. "And we're not going to make any excuses."

Free Throws: Still nursing a stress fracture in her right foot, freshman forward Jade Abele did not make the road trip. She is expected to be sidelined for three to six weeks. ... Fellow freshman Chelsea Wagner met the team in Idaho yesterday; she left the Islands earlier to attend to a family emergency in Oregon. Wagner, who averages 12.9 minutes and 3.6 points per game coming off the bench, is expected to play today and Sunday. ... Roosevelt High School standout Jodi Nakashima has started her first season at Boise State. The 5-foot-7 freshman guard was Hawai'i's prep 3-point champion last season (she made 26 treys in 10 games) and averaged 15.3 points per game as a senior.