HPU needs to sweep Hilo to win PacWest
By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer
In his daily briefing at the office, Tony Sellitto finally admitted it: He's disappointed.
"Oh, yeah, of course I am," he said after Hawai'i Pacific's 78-64 loss to Brigham Young-Hawai'i Tuesday night, his final home game as head coach. "And the team is absolutely disappointed. But it happens."
Look at Eastern Carolina, upsetting No. 9 Marquette, he said with a robust laugh. Anything can happen in college basketball.
"Sometimes your shots fall and the other team is hotter than you and you lose the game," Sellitto said. "There a lot worse things in life. A loss isn't going to kill you."
BYUH definitely rose to the occasion.
The Seasiders didn't care it was HPU's senior night. They didn't care that it was Sellitto's last home game as head coach. They didn't care that HPU needed to win two of its next three games to clinch the Pacific West Conference title and get the automatic berth to the Division II Regionals.
"A lot of credit goes to them," Sellitto said. "They came out there and performed very, very well."
What HPU needs to do now is sweep Hawai'i-Hilo, a feat not easily accomplished, especially at Hilo.
"I think if the kids want it enough, if they are psychologically ready to go, we'll perform well, no problem," Sellitto said.
Hilo has nothing to lose. Even if it swept HPU, it still wouldn't win the conference title.
But that's not the only thing riding on this series. Should Hilo sweep, it will be unbeaten at home this season and possibly own the best record among Hawai'i conference schools.
"It's not hard to motivate our guys," said Hilo head coach Jeff Law. "We've got guys who'll play in uniforms in front of people who paid for tickets or who'll play pick-up basketball. They don't care, they want to play."
To beat the once red-hot Vulcans, HPU will have to be patient and spread the offense.
"It has to be a team effort in Hilo," said HPU assistant coach Russell Dung. "I think everybody wants to win, regardless if they're out of the running. That's the way you have to be. We may play much better with our backs against the wall."
And Hilo will definitely put up a fight. Especially against HPU.
"The people in Hilo love to hate HPU," Law said. "They rather have us beat HPU than beat LSU or Wisconsin."
Law was surprised to see how fired up BYUH came out Tuesday night against HPU. But he wasn't surprised at how well the Seasiders performed under pressure.
"Personnel-wise, (BYUH) has got the best of anyone in the league," Law said. "It's just a matter of putting that together and playing together. On any given night, anyone can win ... HPU should've been fired up because everything was right in front of them."
Montana State Billings, which sits atop the PacWest conference standings at 9-5, needs to beat Western New Mexico (0-14) at home tomorrow. The Yellowjackets haven't lost a game at home in years.
Should the Sea Warriors sweep the Vulcans, they will own the conference top spot and secure a berth to the regionals. (HPU ownsIt's unlikely any other PacWest team will earn an at-large bid, except possibly Montana State Billings, should it finish second.
There is a possibility that three teams could finish 9-6 and tied for second place, further proof as to just how close the competition has been all season.
"This was the perfect year to have a conference tournament," Law said. "Everybody is so even."
Law, a former assistant coach at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, is a big believer in a tournament, even at the Division II level.
"That just adds to the March Madness," he said. "It gives our guys the sense of that atmosphere, that excitement. It would have been very exciting, very close, very heated. And at that time, the best team goes. That's the way it should be."
Four PacWest teams are ranked among the Top 10 in the region in the final NCAA Division II West Region ratings released yesterday. HPU and Montana State Billings remain in the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, respectively. BYUH dropped a spot to No. 9, while Chaminade jumped back into the poll at No. 10.
