Savovic joins 1,000-point club
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Predrag Savovic proved tonight that he can now be considered one of the most prolific scorers in University of Hawai'i men's basketball history.
Savovic joined the 1,000-point club by scoring 19 to lead Hawai'i to a 58-40 victory over Nevada.
A crowd of 5,935 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the Rainbow Warriors improve to 11-2 overall and 2-0 in the Western Athletic Conference. It is the first time UH has started the WAC season with two consecutive victories since the 1993-94 season.
Savovic, a 6-foot-6 senior, hit five 3-pointers, including four in the first half, and was the only UH player to score in double-figures. He shot 6-of-14 from the field, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range.
With Savovic leading the way, the 'Bows hit a season-high 10 3-pointers in 21 attempts. In a victory over Fresno State on Thursday, UH made nine 3-pointers.
Phil Martin contributed eight points and six rebounds, while Mindaugas Burneika also scored eight, including two 3-pointers.
The Wolf Pack used a 13-3 run early in the game to take a 15-8 lead with 12:06 remaining in the first half. In those first eight minutes of the game, the 'Bows made just three of 13 shots and were out-rebounded, 13-6.
Hawai'i responded with an 8-1 surge to tie the score at 16. The lead went back and forth after that until Savovic drained a 3-pointer to give the 'Bows a 25-24 lead at halftime.
Both teams struggled in the first half, shooting an identical 9-of-29 from the field.
Savovic scored 12 points in the first after hitting four of nine 3-point shots. His second 3-pointer of the game made him the ninth player in UH history to score 1,000 points in a career.
UH opened the second half with a 7-0 run that increased the lead to 32-24. The 'Bows never relinquished the lead after that, although the Wolf Pack got as close as four.
Mindaugas Burneika made two 3-pointers during an 8-0 surge that gave Hawai'i an insurmountable 42-30 lead with 9:02 remaining. Nevada never got closer than 10 after that.
Nevada shot just 30 percent for the game (16-of-54). Terrance Green led the Wolf Pack with 18 points. Garry Hill-Thomas, who was averaging nearly 20 points a game, was limited to 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
Hawai'i will make its first WAC road trip of the season this week, traveling to Texas-El Paso on Thursday, and then Boist State on Saturday.
