'Bows position themselves for NCAA tournament bid
• Rainbows set for 'Tussle with Tulsa III'
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Predrag Savovic hit 6-of-11 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 31 points to lead the 'Bows.
David Crenshaw • Associated Press |
With one of the most amazing first-half performances in school history, Savovic carried the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team to a 90-68 rout of Nevada in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament last night.
With the victory, the Rainbow Warriors improved to 26-5, establishing a school record for most victories in a single season. The 'Bows will play Tulsa for the tournament championship today at 4 p.m. (Hawai'i time).
It is a rematch of last season's final game, won by Hawai'i, 78-72, in overtime. The winner of today's game will receive the WAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, although the 'Bows may have secured a bid anyway with their victory last night.
"Until (Selection) Sunday comes and they tell me I got one, I don't believe anything," UH head coach Riley Wallace said.
Last night, the 'Bows made believers out of the near-capacity crowd at the Donald W. Reynolds Center, not to mention Nevada. Hawai'i led from start to finish, and shot 58 percent from the field (28-of-48), including a season-best 57 percent from 3-point range (12-of-21). The 90 points also matched UH's season high, and the 22-point margin was the largest by a Hawai'i team in WAC Tournament play.
Savovic, still in pain because of muscle spasms in his lower back, led the charge by scoring a Reynolds Center record 31 points, including 29 during a mind-boggling first half.
"Savo was red hot in the first half," Wallace said. "It kept us there, got us the lead, and then we took care of it in the second half."
The 6-foot-6 senior guard shot 10-of-16 from the field, including 6-of-11 from 3-point range. He sat out the final 10 minutes of the game to rest his back while the 'Bows had a 17-point lead.
"It was a team effort," Savovic said. "I got nice picks from the big men and had some open looks and took advantage of it."
But he also said he played with extra motivation. Last week, Savovic scored a season-low five points in a 79-69 loss at Nevada. That also happened to be the game in which he suffered his back injury.
"I had their number tonight," he said. "I really wanted to play hard and be there because first, I got ... hurt. And second, we lost that game and we haven't lost that many games this year."
His revenge came early and often. Savovic scored five points within the game's first five minutes, as Hawai'i opened with a 7-0 run. Nevada did not score for the first 4:51 of the game, and never got closer than four points in the first half.
After the Wolf Pack got as close as 26-22 with 7:19 remaining in the half, Savovic scored eight points during a 15-3 Hawai'i surge that pushed the lead to 41-25. At that point of the game, Savovic had 26 points to Nevada's 25.
"Savo destroyed them in the first half," said fellow senior Mike McIntyre, who added 18 points. "It was amazing just to watch him. He has a sore back and all that, but I knew he wanted to be a part of this party. He's Savo, and he showed it tonight."
By halftime, Savovic had 29 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range, as the 'Bows took a 48-32 lead into intermission.
When asked if he had ever seen a better single-half performance, Nevada head coach Trent Johnson said: "Considering the setting and the stage, no."
What's more, most of Savovic's baskets came on quick-release shots from long range that drew oohs and aahs from the crowd.
"He makes more bad shots than anybody I've ever coached," Wallace said.
Savovic's performance clearly frustrated the Wolf Pack, and incited a heated exchange of words between Wallace and Johnson.
Late in the first half, Nevada guard Andre Hazel threw his elbow into the back of Savovic in front of the Wolf Pack bench. No technical foul — not even a warning — was called, prompting Wallace to storm on the court in protest.
Johnson responded by coming out to the court as well to inquire about Wallace's arguing.
"Savo ran in front of the bench and the kid shoved him in the bench; hit him in the back with a forearm shiver," Wallace said. "I didn't think that was very sportsmanship-like, and then I became very unsportsmanship-like. I apologized to (Johnson) later."
Savovic cooled in the second half, shooting just 1-of-4.
"He was in that zone," Wallace said. "His problem is sometimes he doesn't know when he's out of the zone."
His teammates picked up the slack after intermission, never allowing the Wolf Pack to get closer than 15 in the final 20 minutes.
"They just came out and shot the ball extremely well," Johnson said. "Plain and simple. It wasn't just (Savovic)."
McIntyre scored 16 of his 18 in the second half, including 4-of-4 shooting from 3-point range after intermission; sophomore Carl English, limited to just three minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, scored all seven of his points in the second half.
Point guard Mark Campbell contributed seven points, nine assists and three steals. Forward Phil Martin had 10 points and six rebounds, and was the defensive key to disrupting Nevada's offense.
"He goes unnoticed sometimes," Wallace said of the 6-8 Martin. "When he scores in the 10 to 12 (points) range and gets us some boards and plays defense like he does, we usually win. He's our X-factor. He's a key."
In particular, Martin helped limit Nevada forward Corey Jackson to eight points and a season-low three rebounds. Jackson entered the game as the WAC's leading rebounder with an average of 11.4 per game.
"Tonight it was all about defense," Martin said.
The 'Bows limited Nevada to 41 percent shooting (24-of-58), including 5-of-14 from 3-point range, although the Wolf Pack still won the rebounding battle, 34-28.
"It's hard to rebound when the team is making their shots," Jackson said. "And (Hawai'i) did a good job of keeping me off the offensive glass."
Like Savovic, the rest of the 'Bows said last week's loss at Nevada offered more than enough motivation.
"We only lost five games this year," English said. "(Nevada) got one of 'em. We don't ever want to lose two to the same team."
Nevada guard Terrance Green, who led the Wolf Pack with 16 points, said the biggest difference this time was: "It seemed like (Hawai'i) was hitting everything. Every shot was going up, they were hitting."
Nevada completed its season 17-13, and is hoping to receive a bid to the NIT.
• • •
Rainbows set for 'Tussle with Tulsa III'
TULSA, Okla. — Lord of the Rings and Star Wars have nothing on this trilogy.
Hawai'i vs. Tulsa, episode III, will be played tonight before what is expected to be a sold-out audience at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
After two dramatic chapters during the regular season, tonight's finale will be for the championship of the Western Athletic Conference.
The 'Bows, the No. 1 seed for the first time in the 19-year history of the tournament, improved to 26-5 with a resounding 90-68 victory over Nevada in last night's first semifinal. Tulsa, the No. 2 seed, also improved to 26-5 after an 81-65 victory over Fresno State in the other semifinal.
"It's an opportunity for us to showcase the WAC," Tulsa head coach John Phillips said. "If we play a game like we did in Hawai'i a few weeks ago, it'll be a tremendous ball game that everybody will wish they were here to watch it."
Indeed, the 'Bows and Golden Hurricane have already staged two classics this season, with Hawai'i prevailing both times. On Jan. 26, Hawai'i won at Tulsa, 90-82; on Feb. 21, the 'Bows won in the Stan Sheriff Center, 86-85, in what Riley Wallace described as the most significant home victory in his 15 seasons as head coach at UH.
"It should be a real battle," Wallace said. "You won't find a better team, with a capital T, than Tulsa. Those kids play together and they know how to win."
However, Hawai'i has won the past three meetings, including last season's memorable 78-72 overtime victory in the championship of the WAC Tournament. It is the first time in the 19-year history of the tournament that a rematch of the championship game will take place.
"It's like every time we play them it's a big game," said UH guard/forward Carl English. "This is just another one. I think it's good that we already played them in this atmosphere. We know what it takes."
English emerged as a star in last season's championship victory over Tulsa with 25 points. In UH's last three wins over the Golden Hurricane, English is averaging 21.0 points per game.
"In the back of our minds, there might be a lot of revenge," said Tulsa forward Kevin Johnson. "But really, it's a step we have to take to go to the NCAA Tournament."
The winner of today's game will take the WAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The loser is expected to receive an at-large bid, although Tulsa did not get one last season after its loss to Hawai'i. Instead, the Hurricane went on to win the NIT.
"The revenge word is not right," Phillips said. "It's mutual respect. We really believe we're the two best teams in the WAC this year. I think our guys love to play Hawai'i and Hawai'i loves to play us."
For certain, the 'Bows love to shoot 3-pointers against the Hurricane. In the last three victories over Tulsa, Hawai'i has made 33 3-pointers, including 12 by Mike McIntyre, and nine by English.
"We know we're going to have to get out on their 3-point shooters," Tulsa guard Greg Harrington said. "They really hurt us every time we play."
Despite downplaying the revenge factor, the Hurricane also remember the hurt they felt after last year's championship game.
"It was really disappointing to watch another team celebrate on our home court," Harrington said. "We just don't want to let that happen again."
The "home" team: Hawai'i and Tulsa finished with identical 15-3 WAC records this season, but the 'Bows earned the No. 1 seed based on their two victories over the Hurricane.
As the top seed, the 'Bows will be the designated home team today, and will wear their white uniforms. Tulsa will wear either its visiting gold or black.
"It'll feel a little strange in our building," Phillips said. "But we've been a pretty good road team."
Tulsa went 13-3 on the road this season, and 13-2 in the Reynolds Center.
Not even close: Predrag Savovic's 31 points against Nevada last night was the most ever scored by a player in the Reynolds Center, but it was well short of the WAC Tournament record.
Mike Jones of TCU scored 44 in a 1997 quarterfinal victory over Fresno State.
