WNIT notes
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico's TV color analyst for tonight's game will be former Wahine Janice (Branch) Ruggiero, now the Lobos' assistant athletic director for administration and Senior Woman Administrator.
Ruggiero sees stark similarities between UH coach Vince Goo and UNM coach Don Flanagan. Both emphasize defense, and both teams are among the Top 20 nationally in scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense.
"I always root for Hawai'i, but tonight will be different because my job depends on it," said Ruggiero, the mother of boys ages 6 and 3. "My heart is in Hawai'i, but now I wear the red."
One of the top venues
Sports Illustrated named The Pit one of the Top 20 Venues of the Century in a 1999 list.
It was ranked 13th, after Wembley Soccer Stadium in London and before the Boston Marathon Course.
Yankee Stadium was No. 1, followed by Augusta National Golf Course and Army football's Michie Stadium.
The Lobos are fifth nationally in attendance, averaging 8,499 a game. They haven't drawn that many to their first three Women's National Invitation Tournament games, in part because their men were playing in the NIT at the same time. Now, the men are done. By 3 p.m. yesterday, 6,500 seats had been sold for tonight's game.
The Pit holds more than 18,000. The floor is located 37 feet underground, yet sits nearly 5,200 feet above sea level.
UH bids to host
UH has put in a "$50,000-plus" bid to host the WNIT championship Thursday if the Wahine win tonight, according to compliance coordinator Daniel Arakaki, who is traveling with the team and working with the WNIT.
Ohio State and James Madison, who play in the other semifinal tomorrow, have also bid. New Mexico's press release said it would be home for the final if the Lobos win tonight.
Entertaining practice
The most entertaining part of yesterday's 80-minute practice came at the end, when 6-foot-5 Christen Roper was practicing 3-pointers ö a shot she has "never taken in a game."
The Wahine's discussion while she shot revolved around Roper's toss against the bottom of the backboard in Wednesday's victory over Oklahoma State. Roper insisted it was a "high-low" pass to post player Dainora Puida. Her teammates were not all convinced.
Roper's first 3-point attempt yesterday was an air ball.
"That was high-low, right?," said Puida, a 6-4 senior with an excellent 3-point shot from the top of the key. "You better practice. They will need you when I'm gone."
Roper's next two shots were nothing but net.
Roper's father and sister, who live in Ojai, Calif., met the team during its Los Angeles layover at 5:30 yesterday morning. There will be several Ropers, coming in from three states, at tonight's game.
Roper's parents, Bob and Debbie, have been to all the Wahine road games this year. They listen to home games on the Internet.
"We were screaming and yelling during the BYU game," Debbie said. "I was thinking, if somebody sees us through the window now, at 11 o'clock at night, they will think we're crazy. I hate missing games."
