'Bows roll past Privateers
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Maybe it's the shoes.
Eugune Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
In its first year of sponsorship by Adidas shoes, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team fittingly won the Adidas Festival with a 68-56 victory over New Orleans last night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Hawai'i guard Mark Campbell, right, looks for an open teammate as New Orleans' A.J. Meredith defends.
It was the 16th consecutive home victory for the Rainbow Warriors, who improved to 4-1. The Privateers dropped to 7-3.
Carl English, distinguished by the black pair of Adidas he bought on his own (every other 'Bow wears the team-issued white shoes), led the way with 22 points, including 15 during a first-half blitz that proved to be the difference for the rest of the game.
"I got pumped up to play these guys — it was the championship game," said English, who shot 6-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range. "I came out fired up and was making some shots and the guys were finding me."
As for the black shoes, he said: "I just like to be different."
He certainly was, earning most valuable player honors for the four-team tournament.
"We came out hot tonight and Carl was hitting his jump shot," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "But I thought the last two nights, the key was we played really good defense."
New Orleans was limited to a season-low 56 points on 35 percent shooting (20-of-58).
"We came out right from the start and got on people in this tournament," said UH junior guard Michael Kuebler. "That kind of set the key for the rest of the game."
English scored the first eight points of the game — two 3-pointers and an off-balance jump shot from 17 feet — to give the 'Bows a lead they would never relinquish.
He added seven more points during a 14-0 run midway through the first half that increased the Hawai'i lead to 24-5. After less than 11 minutes had elapsed in the game, English already had 15 points.
"I take it personally to come out at the beginning of a game and get us going," said English, who added six rebounds and three assists.
Meanwhile, New Orleans shot just 22 percent (6-of-27) in the crucial first half, and trailed 32-20 at halftime.
As Wallace put it: "We played even in the second half, so it was good that we jumped out to that lead early."
A key stretch for UH came late in the first half when four key players — English, Haim Shimonovich, Phil Martin and Tony Akpan — were forced to sit on the bench for the final nine minutes due to foul problems.
In their absence, sophomore forward Vaidotas Peciukas came off the bench to score 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting.
"It was a key that those guys did a good job during that time," Wallace said. "They stayed together and worked hard and kept us in the lead going into halftime."
With the full arsenal of Hawai'i players back on the court in the second half, New Orleans never got within single-digits of the lead.
With the Privateers focusing on English, Kuebler scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, including 3-of-3 shooting from 3-point range.
Shimonovich contributed eight points and seven rebounds, and point guard Mark Campbell had four points, six rebounds and seven assists. Both joined English on the all-tournament team.
Hector Romero, New Orleans' All-America candidate, finished with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting.
UH reserve point guard Jason Carter limped off the court in the second half with what was diagnosed as a bruised tendon on his right knee. Wallace said he expects him to be ready for the Rainbow Classic, which begins Dec. 27.
• Cal Poly 73, Eastern Illinois 70 (OT): Phil Johnson scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Eric Jackson added 15 points to lead the Mustangs (3-5) over the Panthers (3-7) for third place.
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