UH tips off season with 76-52 victory

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Maybe there is some magic left from last season.

Hawai'i guard Carl English gathers one of his eight rebounds. English also had 20 points and four assists. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

A turnstile crowd of 4,223 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the season opener for both teams. In a game that was as close as the final score indicated, Hawai'i led from start to finish, and was never challenged.

"I'm sure it's not going to be that easy all year," said sophomore guard Carl English, who scored a team-high 20 points. "But when we're playing like that, it's amazing to be out there."

The Rainbow Warriors did not suit up three players currently under investigation by the NCAA: Predrag Savovic, Luc-Arthur Vebobe and Tony Akpan. Head coach Riley Wallace said before the game that the three players would sit as a precautionary measure until the NCAA decides their fate.

Savovic and Vebobe have been under investigation since June. Akpan, who is from Nigeria, was added to the list this week for his basketball history, which included stops at high schools in California, New Jersey and Alabama before he was recruited to UH.

Savovic, a senior captain, was an all-conference player last season. He started each of the previous 60 games in his UH career.

"The team stepped up in their absence," Wallace said. "But they are not by any means forgetting about them."

In Savovic's absence, the 'Bows relied on the same disciplined, pass-oriented offense that carried them to the NCAA Tournament last season. Five players finished with double-figure points, and 21 of the team's 29 baskets came off assists.

"We worked the ball, we found the shots, and we hit 'em," Wallace said.

The leading scorers were the five starters: English (20), Mindaugas Burneika (15), Haim Shimonovich (13), Mark Campbell (11) and Phil Martin (10).

Shimonovich, a 6-foot-10 sophomore center, added team-highs of 11 rebounds and five assists. He established personal career-bests in all three categories.

"That's the offense," Shimonovich said. "When I'm up there (at the top of the key), I'm looking for my friends."

In addition to the three players under investigation, senior Mike McIntyre did not start because he suffered a deep thigh bruise during the team's shoot-around earlier yesterday. He played 18 minutes, scoring two points.

Campbell, a junior college transfer, started in McIntyre's point guard spot; English moved from small forward to Savovic's shooting guard position; Burneika switched from power forward to small forward; Martin, expected to see only limited action because of a sprained left ankle, started at power forward. Only Shimonovich started in his projected spot last night.

"With all the guys out, we had to step it up and come together," said English, who made eight of his 12 shots, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and added eight rebounds.

To be sure, the 'Bows opened the game with a stunning 13-0 run and never looked back. English, who scored 16 points in the first half, contributed five points during the opening surge.

Later in the half, Hawai'i went on even more impressive 21-0 run that increased a 17-7 lead to an insurmountable 38-7. During that seven-minute stretch, Norfolk went scoreless for 13 consecutive possessions, including six turnovers.

"Somebody said we couldn't stop anybody defensively," Burneika said, referring to Wallace's comments after the team's exhibition game last week. "We proved that we can."

At halftime, UH led 46-20. The lead increased to as much as 32 in the second half, and the Spartans never got closer than 21.

UH players claimed they never looked up at the scoreboard, but were always aware of the margin because "Savo told us" from the bench.

UH will play Drake in the championship game of the four-team tournament tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Norfolk State will play Sam Houston State for third place at 5 p.m.

• Drake 74, Sam Houston State 65: Luke McDonald scored 18 points and Aaron Knight 16 to lead the Bulldogs over the Bearkats in last night's first game.

Donald Cole came off the bench to score 18 for the Bearkats.