Hawai'i battles visiting Tulsa for WAC lead

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hurricane warnings are nothing new to Hawai'i.

	Hawai'i vs. Tulsa
•	WHEN: 7 tonight
•	WHERE: Stan Sheriff Center.
•	TV: Live on K5
•	RADIO: Live on 1420-AM
•	NOTE: Approximately 200 tickets remain for tonight's game. The available tickets are for single seats in the upper level, and can be purchased at the Sheriff Center box office starting at 8 a.m. today.
•	PARKING: $3.
•	SHUTTLE SERVICE: Free shuttle for fans who park in upper campus areas. Service available from 5:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.

In a showdown for first place in the Western Athletic Conference, the Rainbow Warriors will take on the Golden Hurricane at what is expected to be a sold out Stan Sheriff Center.

"It's not like this is Duke against Maryland," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "But as far as us and the WAC, this is as big as it gets."

Indeed, the 'Bows are 21-4 overall and 12-2 in the WAC. Tulsa is 22-4 and 13-2. The winner of tonight's game takes control of the WAC with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season (each WAC team will play 18 conference games).

Wallace already had the hatches battened down yesterday.

For the first time all season, the 'Bows held a "closed" practice session, meaning the doors were locked and no spectators were allowed entry.

"We've been successful and so a lot of people were starting to come around," Wallace said. "There's nothing wrong with that, except I don't want the players being distracted right now."

When the practice doors were opened, Wallace announced: "We worked on everything that we needed to do."

In truth, the Hurricane presents a pick-your-poison problem for opponents.

Led by three mercurial guards, Tulsa is the WAC's best 3-point shooting team. Junior Dante Swanson has a NCAA-best .548 percentage from 3-point range.

"Their 3-point shooting is just ... great," said UH guard Predrag Savovic. "We have to contest every shot."

But the Hurricane also has two of the best forwards in the conference in 6-foot-7 juniors Kevin Johnson and Charlie Davis.

"We have to adjust to whatever they give us," said Tulsa point guard Greg Harrington, who leads the WAC in assists. "It's hard to focus on one aspect because we feel like all five guys on the floor can score for us."

Four of the five Tulsa starters are averaging double-figure points, and the fifth, Davis, is at 9.3.

The key, both teams insist, will be defense.

"Their quickness and speed in transition could cause us problems," Wallace said. "(Tulsa) will score. You can't shut them down. You just have to get some key stops and stay out of foul trouble."

In a 90-82 victory at Tulsa Jan. 26, the 'Bows found success late in the game with a small lineup that had 6-10 Haim Shimonovich and 6-8 Phil Martin on the bench. While Wallace said that lineup is an option, he would prefer Shimonovich and Martin stay in the game.

"The guys we had in there got hot," Wallace said. "But it's going to take a team effort. We'll need everybody at their best."

Despite losing that game, not to mention last season's WAC Tournament championship loss to UH, Tulsa is downplaying the revenge factor.

"There's a lot more at stake than revenge," Harrington said.

Shimonovich said: "I think all the players feel a little nervous knowing how big this game is. But I rather have that feeling than be at the bottom and nobody cares."

• Dress code: The UH athletic department is encouraging fans to wear white shirts and bring a ti leaf to tonight's game. The goal is to create a "sea of green and white." The first 3,000 fans through the gate will receive a ti leaf.

• Going fast: Around 200 tickets remain for today's game. If those are sold, it would mark the first sellout for UH since March 19, 1998.