UH aims to keep hold on first

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	On radio: Today's men's basketball game between the University of Hawai'i and Louisiana Tech University will be broadcast live starting at 11:45 a.m. on KCCN, 1420 AM

There are no movie theaters, no major shopping malls, no nightclubs and no airports in this city of about 25,000. As if that weren't enough, temperatures were in the 30s yesterday.

In a way, it is quite fitting for a no-nonsense University of Hawai'i men's basketball team that has found unprecedented success on the road this season.

The Rainbow Warriors arrived in Ruston yesterday afternoon after a one-hour drive from the Shreveport Airport. They are scheduled to play Louisiana Tech in a Western Athletic Conference game today at noon (Hawai'i time) at the Thomas Assembly Center.

"I couldn't tell you the difference between this city from any of the other ones we've been to," said UH senior guard Predrag Savovic. "Because we don't do anything anyway. We just show up and play basketball."

It is an all-business travel plan that has produced a 5-1 record on the WAC road this season. The five victories already ties a school-record for most WAC road victories in a season.

The 'Bows will try to continue their road success today against a Louisiana Tech team that has forged its way into the WAC title race in its first year in the conference.

After an 85-76 victory at Southern Methodist on Thursday, Hawai'i improved to 20-3 overall and remained alone atop the WAC standings at 11-1. The Bulldogs are coming off a 77-53 rout of San Jose State on Thursday. After five consecutive WAC victories, Louisiana Tech is 14-7 overall and in third place in the conference at 8-3.

"They're on a roll," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "They really took it to San Jose State, which is scary enough for me."

Hawai'i's lone WAC loss this season came at San Jose State.

However, the 'Bows already own an impressive 20-point victory (81-61) over Louisiana Tech a month ago in the Stan Sheriff Center. It was the Bulldogs' first WAC trip to Honolulu, and they played as if they never cleared quarantine.

"I hope we're a different team — a better team — than that," Louisiana Tech head coach Keith Richard said. "If not, we'll be in trouble again."

Added senior guard Marco Cole: "It was different in Hawai'i, different than any other city in the WAC. We got to see Pearl Harbor and our hotel was near the beach. But we can't blame that. We just weren't ready to play."

This time, the first impressions have been reversed. Hawai'i is making its first trip to Ruston.

"I thought this was going to be a college town, but I guess not," said UH senior guard Mike McIntyre. "There's just a bunch of trees."

On the court, the 'Bows will also have to deal with a bunch of big trees. The Bulldogs lead the WAC in rebounding with 41.1 per game. Three players average at least six rebounds per game: 6-foot-10 Zach Johnson (6.0), 6-8 Antonio Meeking (6.7) and 6-5 Darrian Brown (6.7).

"That's my biggest concern," Wallace said. "We'll have to defend hard in the post and crash the boards."

In contrast, the 'Bows have just one player averaging more than six rebounds per game, 6-10 Haim Shimonovich at 6.6.

"I'm expecting a tough game," Shimonovich said. "They have some big guys who like to go after rebounds. We just have to be ready to fight back."

While the post players grab the bulk of the rebounds, the perimeter players take care of most of the scoring for the Bulldogs. Gerrod Henderson, a 6-4 senior guard, is Louisiana Tech's most athletically gifted player, and the leading scorer with 15.2 points per game. Cole, a 6-5 guard, is contributing 12 points per game.

"We've been getting good balance," Richard said. "I think everybody is settling into their roles and that's why we've been successful lately."

What's more, the Bulldogs have been successful guard dogs in Ruston. Since the opening of the Thomas Assembly Center in 1982, Louisiana Tech has won 80 percent of its games there, including an 8-2 record this season.

Still, Richard is concerned about the 'Bows, who had five players score in double figures in their last meeting, led by McIntyre's 22.

"That is the only game in (WAC) play where we really panicked on both ends of the floor," Richard said. "On offense, our guys played crazy and out of control. On defense, we couldn't stop them early and so we panicked after that."

Like the Bulldogs, the 'Bows have won five consecutive WAC games. Savovic is averaging 24.4 points per game in those victories.

"He's been a key, no question," Wallace said. "He's shooting for a good percentage and he's getting some rebounds and assists. He's been consistent, so let's hope it continues."

In any case, the 'Bows are not taking anything for granted.

"The score of the last game we played them didn't show the real power of that team," Shimonovich said. "They are a good team."