Three Hawai'i guards have a lot in common
By Leila Wai
Special to the Advertiser
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| Milia Macfarlane, Trisha Nishimoto and Michelle Gabriel are 5 feet 5 and from Hawai'i high schools.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser Rainbow Wahine basketball What: Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort Classic Who: Hawai'i, UCLA, Sacramento State When: Nov. 23-25 (Saturday: Hawai'i vs. UCLA, 1 p.m.; Sunday: UCLA vs. Sacramento State, 2 p.m.; Monday: Hawai'i vs. Sacramento State, 7 p.m.) Where: Stan Sheriff Center Radio: 1420 AM, Nov. 23, 25 TV: K5, Nov. 25 Ticket Prices: All seats are general admission. Prices are $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, $4 for UH students and ages 18-younger. |
Senior Michelle Gabriel of Maryknoll, sophomore Milia Macfarlane of Punahou and freshman Trisha Nishimoto of Iolani have been preparing for that moment.
"They all have different qualities," Hawai'i coach Vince Goo said. "If they can work on their weaknesses and take strengths from somebody else, they are going to end up being a good, solid package as a point guard."
All three will be donning the green and white when the Rainbow Wahine open their season in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic on Nov. 23-25, featuring Sacramento State and UCLA.
"If we were to combine our skills and make one player, I think we would be pretty good," Gabriel said. "I think we would be pretty tough, except we are short. But I think we make it up with different strengths."
Gabriel and Macfarlane, who shared a coach in Mike Taylor, and Nishimoto are all products of local coaching, especially that of the Kalakaua clinic, where the three credit instructor Dennis Agena.
"It's funny because I think we all have the same style because of that," Gabriel said. "Sometimes you'll see the same things come out. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad."
Goo said that what he looks for in a point guard are quick, hard-nosed ball players.
"They are the leaders on the floor," Goo said. "They run our offense and call our defenses. They are like a coach on the floor. You need a smart person at the point, someone who stays under control, composure-wise, on the floor. We need a vocal point guard.
"Michelle's number one thing going for her is that she has the experience. She's in her fourth year and she knows what we want on offense and defense. Milia is probably our best perimeter shooter and I think Trisha is our best defender right now."
Last year, Gabriel averaged 8.9 minutes per game, backing up all-Western Athletic Conference honoree Janka Gabrielova. Macfarlane averaged 3.2 minutes. Nishimoto was preparing for her senior season at Iolani.
"Michelle leads everyone," Macfarlane said. "She knows how to settle everyone down, she knows what to run, she is just real smart. She's got a lot of experience."
Gabriel said she feels she can run the offense with her eyes closed after three years of repetition.
"It has nothing to do with being smart," said Gabriel, a WAC All-Academic honoree. "It's just practice. You run the plays a zillion times, you should know it," Gabriel said.
To prepare for the upcoming season, the trio worked out about five hours a day during the summer, running, lifting weights, shooting and doing agility drills. Macfarlane also trained with the football team during running drills.
"We worked together this whole summer every day," Macfarlane said. "Michelle got us out every day, and always made us work harder. When we work together, I just feel like we encourage each other everyday in practice and continue to get better.
"I think we try not to compare ourselves to each other. We all have strengths and weaknesses."
All agree that they wanted to remain at home to play in front of their families.
Gabriel said that watching the players of past programs was a great influence on her decision to stay at home.
Nishimoto agreed: "I wanted to play in front of my family, and I wanted to come here because I used to watch all the time and Nani Cockett used to be my idol," she said.
Sometimes interrupting and finishing one another's sentences, other times arguing a point, the three players all say that they get along well off the court.
"The coolest thing is that we are so close even though our ages are kind of far apart," Macfarlane said.
Like family members or people who spend as much time together as they do, the three tease one another relentlessly, peppering their conversations with laughter and inside jokes.
"Trisha is like the little pet that comes around: The stray cat," Gabriel said. "She's our Stitch."
Notes: Individual game tickets are on sale. All seats are general admission. Prices are $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, $4 for UH students and ages 18-younger. Ticket prices for the Rainbow Wahine Classic are $1 more. Tickets may be purchased at the Stan Sheriff Center box office, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by calling Ticket Plus at 526-4400. Children eighth grade and below can register for the WBB Junior Fan Club one hour before each home game outside the ticket office. Membership includes a free season ticket to all games, including tournaments.
