Atuaia returns 2 1/2 weeks after suffering knee injury
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
For once, when the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine rubbed their eyes yesterday morning it was not brought on by another 6 a.m. basketball practice. It was April Atuaia's presence, in a limited yet heartening engagement.
Atuaia, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament 2 1/2 weeks ago, participated in every drill but two yesterday and was given the go-ahead for a full practice this morning.
"She looks good, but a little tentative yet," UH coach Vince Goo said. "I don't know if that's the best she'll get or what we'll see. We're not expecting anything, we'll just see how she does and not force anything. We'll see what the doctors say and what April says, and how she feels."
His optimism came up short of penciling last season's WAC Freshman of the Year into tomorrow's starting lineup against Tulsa, or Sunday's against Rice.
"I think it's too early, personally," Goo said. "That's without talking to April or her doctors."
This is a week that can make or break Hawai'i's postseason dreams. The Rainbow Wahine (16-5) are in fourth place in the WAC at 9-3 — a half-game behind Tulsa (15-8) and Rice (16-6), who are 10-3.
This week could be the difference between second place and fourth in the WAC, and the seeding at next month's conference tournament. It could also decide whether the conference will get a second team into the NCAA Tournament along with seventh-ranked Louisiana Tech.
UH has won six of its past seven. The Golden Hurricane is a victory shy of its single-season record and in the midst of its second five-game winning streak. The Owls have won their past three, including a 57-43 pounding of Hawai'i a month ago.
In the loss to Rice, the Rainbows shot 20 percent. Goo believes the Owls' relentless defense was the difference, but UH does have hope; while it is 0-4 in Houston, Rice is 0-3 here.
Now though, Tulsa is the Rainbow Wahine's most pressing concern. The Golden Hurricane comes in with its third WAC Player of the Week — Leela Farr, who averaged 23 points and four assists against the conference's two worst teams last week. She is the Golden Hurricane's leading scorer in what has been its finest season, with the notable exception of the lost weekend when San Jose State and Hawai'i visited Tulsa.
While the Rainbows were suffering unprecedented offensive futility against Rice, San Jose State was coming from eight points down in the final 1:33 to stun Tulsa. Two days later, UH drowned Tulsa in a deluge of first-half 3-pointers, shooting 55 percent and going up 42-23 at halftime.
"I'm not sure if they had recovered from that San Jose State stinger," Goo said. "In the second half they defended us really well and they've played well since."
Like Rice, Tulsa's numbers are nearly a reprint of the Rainbows' — from records down to the decimal points in nearly every meaningful statistic. All three teams have offensive balance and a penchant for pressure defense. While the Rainbow Wahine come by their balance deliberately, the Owls and Golden Hurricane are usually in a rush.
"They can run and they can score," Goo said. "They know what we do and we know what they do.
"This week will be important and competitive."
The Rainbow Wahine received seven points in this week's USA Today/ESPN Top 25. They are 43rd in the CollegeRPI.com power rating, while Rice is 60 and Tulsa 112. Louisiana Tech, which hasn't lost a WAC game, is 21st.
OVER AND BACK: Only tomorrow's game will be on radio (1420 AM) and TV (KFVE). ... In the four games freshman Chelsea Wagner has started in place of the injured April Atuaia, she has averaged 13.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2 assists. Wagner has connected on a dozen 3-pointers in those games. ... UH seniors Karena Greeny and Janka Gabrielova are shooting their way into the WAC's long-distance statistics. Greeny is hitting a WAC-best 59 percent of her 3-pointers in conference games and Gabrielova is second in the conference with a .418 3-point percentage in all games. ... With 39 3's, Gabrielova is on a pace to break Kylie Galloway's UH record of 48 in a season. ... In national statistics, the Rainbows are ninth in shooting percentage defense (34.8), 23rd in rebounding margin (plus 6.4) and 26th in scoring defense (59.0 points). Christen Roper is eighth in blocks (2.9). ...
Reserve post player Arijana Sijercic has recovered from a sprained right hand and is available to play this week. She did not make the last road trip. ... Seventh-ranked Louisiana Tech is second nationally in scoring margin (24.5) and leads the WAC at 32.1. Tulsa is second in the WAC, at 9.2. ... Tech's Brooke Lassiter became the NCAA's all-time leader in free-throw percentage on Jan. 31. Lassiter has hit 252-of-276 career free throws, for a 91.3 percentage. The previous record holder was Washington's Karen Murray, who made 87.6 of her foul shots from 1981-84.
