UH-Hilo's basketball road test begins Monday

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Having won 13 of the last 14 games — 12 consecutively — and owning the conference top spot, Hawai'i-Hilo has nothing to worry about in Monday's men's basketball matchup with Hawai'i Pacific, right?

Not unless road games don't count.

The Vulcans, who lost their first conference game at Brigham Young-Hawai'i last week, hit the road for six games in three states.

And it all starts Monday night at Blaisdell Arena.

"Monday's game is really big," said UHH head coach Jeff Law. "We start a six-game road swing. But we're in a decent position (in the Pacific West Conference standings). We wouldn't want to be in a different position. But there's still a lot in front of us. All we've done won't mean a whole lot until we get something done on the road."

You can win all you want at home, but you have to steal some on the road to be a conference contender. That's always been the case.

And for Hilo (5-1 PacWest, 15-3 overall), which has won every game at home since the preseason Big Island Invitational in November, that fact couldn't be more true.

"It's very, very important to try and get as many as we can on the road," Law said. "It's going to be tough. You can see by the scores; even playing (last-place) Western New Mexico won't be a picnic. It's going to be a really tough road trip. And if we do anything, to do it the easy way, it starts on Monday night. But we haven't done a whole lot the easy way."

And HPU won't be easy to beat.

Coming off a disappointing loss to Montana State-Billings on the road, the Sea Warriors (3-2, 12-5) boast the offensive talents of senior guards Nash Subotic and Nick Spajic. They lead HPU in scoring, averaging 17.3 and 13.2 points per game, respectively.

Once touted as the team to beat in the preseason, having returned the pair of conference-leading scorers, HPU finds itself hovering at No. 3 in the conference.

"I don't think we're the underdog; only in the standings," said HPU assistant coach Russell Dung. "I think we're just as good a team. If we play hard and execute, the outcome will be in favor of us. We can't worry about who we're playing. We just have to play our game."

The Sea Warriors tried to control the tempo against Montana State-Billings, slowing their quick-transition offense to shut down the Yellowjackets' outside game.

"We thought we would slow down the game to get their timing off," Dung said, "which we did. We just didn't expect their big men handling us inside . . . We had our chances."

Against Hilo, which boasts four players who average double figures in scoring, HPU hopes that playing at home will make a difference.

"I think any team is strong at home," Dung said. "It's something the visiting team has to overcome, in terms of traveling and playing in a different place. The mental preparation has to be a lot stronger when you're playing on the road. It's tough to win on the road. But you have to do it. We always have that philosophy. If you can win on the road, you're a very good team."

If the Vulcans can steal some road games and maintain their home record, they just may be as good as the stats indicate. Which isn't what anyone expected, considering Hilo lost three of its five starters after one of the program's most successful seasons.

"I was very concerned," Law admitted. "I was hoping and praying that there was more than one way to skin a cat. And that's basically what has happened.

"We have a bunch of good guys, good basketball players," he added. "We don't necessarily jump over anybody or run by anybody. But we understand what we need to do and we understand the game. We try to get into a position to get the most amount of damage to other teams."

Hilo's success is due, in part, to team chemistry.

"Things have come together," Law said. "It's been a unit thing, a team thing. We're mismatched, a hodgepodge, but I'm happy with the ways things have worked out, the way the guys are coming together. But the stretch for us is coming up. And until the season is over with, that's when we'll see where we are and what we've done."

Free throws: HPU will retire Benny Agbayani's baseball jersey before Monday's basketball game against UH-Hilo. According to HPU officials, this is the first time the school has retired any jersey. ... Hilo's David LaQua, who sat out against Chaminade because of an earache, is expected to play against HPU. The earache, which stemmed from a cold, affected his equilibrium. LaQua averages 13.5 points per game.

This week's schedule

Basketball

Saturday

• Chaminade at BYUH, 7:30 p.m., Cannon Activities Center

Monday

• UHH at HPU, 7:30 p.m., Blaisdell Center
  
  
  

Baseball

Saturday

• Florida State at UHH, 1 p.m., Wong Stadium

Sunday

• Florida State at UHH, 11 a.m., Wong Stadium

Monday

• Florida State at UHH, 2 p.m., Wong Stadium

Tuesday

• Florida State at HPU, 11 a.m., Hans L'Orange Park
• Cal State-Chico at HPU, 3 p.m., Hans L'Orange Park

Wednesday

• Cal State-Chico at HPU, 4 p.m., Hans L'Orange Park
  
  
  

Softball

Saturday

• UHH Alumni Game, noon, Wong Stadium
  
  
  

Tennis

Tomorrow

• HPU men at UH-Manoa, 2:30 p.m., UH-Manoa courts

Tuesday

• UHH at BYUH, 9:30 a.m., BYUH courts