BYUH hoops pulls off upset of its own
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
In a week filled with upsets by Hawai'i's Division II basketball teams, few were bigger than Brigham Young-Hawai'i's shocker Saturday in La'ie.
BYUH knocked off the nation's No. 1 Division II team, Humboldt State (Calif.), 108-97, in one of the biggest surprises this preseason.
It was the Seasiders' first victory over a top-ranked NCAA Division II team in school history. BYUH previously had defeated top-ranked teams as a member of the NAIA.
"It's a big win," BYUH coach Ken Wagner said. "It's always nice to beat the No. 1-ranked team because you don't get a chance to play someone who is ranked No. 1 very often."
The BYUH victory capped a slew of early-season upsets led by Chaminade's 52-49 victory over Villanova in the opening round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational on Nov. 24 in Lahaina, Maui. The game was nationally televised on ESPN.
Not to be outdone, Hawai'i-Hilo upset Division I teams Dartmouth, 50-48, on Friday and Rider, 58-56, on Saturday in its own Hilo Shootout.
BYUH was led by 6-foot-1 sophomore guard Shawn Opunui, the Pacific West Conference Player of the Week, and 6-foot-9 junior post player Jake Chrisman.
Opunui had 28 points, six assists, six steals and six rebounds. He converted 18 of 21 free throws, tying a school record for most free throws made. Chrisman recorded game highs of 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Chrisman and Opunui are transfers from Division I BYU-Provo. Chrisman played basketball and baseball for the Cougars before switching schools this season. Opunui made the move last season and played in all 23 games as a BYUH freshman.
Wagner said Chrisman and Opunui have solidified the Seasiders, who used a relentless, all-around game plan to defeat Humboldt State.
"They're both awfully good players," Wagner said. "I just thought as a team everyone hustled. Realistically, we beat (Humboldt State) in every single category. I just felt our team played extremely well for this early in the season."
Against Humboldt State, the Seasiders held the edge in steals (14 to 6), made fewer turnovers (10 to 19), shot better (55.9 percent to 47.6 percent) and converted 14 more free throws.
On Nov. 17, BYUH flirted with an upset against Division I UH-Manoa before falling, 63-56. The Seasiders led 33-25 at halftime, but could not fend off the taller Rainbows in the second half.
"I feel that this team is a really good offensive team when they're patient and get the type of shots they're good at," Wagner said. "I don't know if we're there yet. If we're patient, we'll be awfully hard to beat because we have pretty good shooters."
BYUH (4-2) will host Hawai'i Pacific (0-5) in a non-conference game Friday. HPU will host Hawai'i-Hilo (4-2) tomorrow in a non-conference game.
• Prep standouts sign with HPU softball, baseball: The Hawai'i Pacific softball team signed three all-state Hawai'i players and a 6-foot, left-handed pitcher from California, HPU coach Howard Okita announced this week.
Brandi Peiler and Nicole Kalakau of Kamehameha, Lia Pedrina of Castle and Dayna Berry of Mission Viejo, Calif., will join the Sea Warriors for the 2004-05 season.
Peiler is an outfielder/pitcher, Kalakau is a first baseman/catcher and Pedrina is a pitcher/outfielder. The signings marked the fourth time in five years Okita has landed three all-state players.
As for the baseball team, Saint Louis School infielder Danny Lee was the first player to commit to the Sea Warriors for the 2004-05 season, HPU coach Alan Sato said. HPU has five former Crusaders on its roster.
Last week's basketball results
Brigham Young-Hawai'i 89, San Francisco State 66
Brigham Young-Hawai'i 87, Adams State 63
Brigham Young-Hawai'i 108, Humboldt State 97
Chaminade 52, Villanova 49
Hawai'i 68, Chaminade 54
San Diego State 75, Chaminade 67
Humboldt State 87, Hawai'i Pacific 86 (2OT)
Adams State 74, Hawai'i Pacific 71
Hawai'i-Hilo 50, Dartmouth 48
Hawai'i-Hilo 58, Rider 56
Quinnipiac 85, Hawai'i-Hilo 74
Colo. State-Pueblo 83, Western New Mexico 61
Western New Mexico 86, New Mexico Highlands 84
This week's basketball schedule
Monday's result
Montana State-Billings 108, Great Falls 63
Yesterday's game
Western New Mexico vs. New Mexico Highlands
Tomorrow's game
Hawai'i-Hilo at Hawai'i Pacific
Friday's games
Hawai'i Pacific at BYU-Hawai'i
Western New Mexico vs. Adams State
Saturday's games
Montana State-Billings vs. Chadron State
Western New Mexico at Ft. Lewis
Pacific West Conference
MEN'S BASKETBALL STANDINGS
Through Monday's games
Conf. Overall
W-L W-L
Montana State-Billings 0-0 3-0
BYU-Hawai'i 0-0 4-2
Hawai'i-Hilo 0-0 4-2
Western New Mexico 0-0 1-2
Chaminade 0-0 1-2
Hawai'i Pacific 0-0 0-5
INDIVIDUAL BASKETBALL STATISTICS
Through Monday's games
To be ranked, a player must appear in at least 75 percent of his team's games
SCORING
G Pts Avg
1 (tie), Skrifvars (MSUB) 2 43 21.5
1 (tie), Fortier (MSUB) 2 43 21.5
3, Enriquez (WNMU) 3 59 19.7
4, Munoz (MSUB) 2 38 19.0
5, Chrisman (BYUH) 6 113 18.8
6, Noble (HPU) 5 93 18.6
7, Abrams (HPU) 5 91 18.2
8, Opunui (BYUH) 6 106 17.7
9, Abrahams (UHH) 6 101 16.8
10, Stowell (BYUH) 6 88 14.7
11, Carse (MSUB) 2 29 14.5
12, Travis (UHH) 6 82 13.7
13, Jackson (WNMU) 3 38 12.7
14, Smylie (BYUH) 6 73 12.2
15, Stigall (CU) 3 35 11.7
16, Tecul (HPU) 5 52 10.4
17, Newell (WNMU) 3 30 10.0
18, Cabagnot (UHH) 6 56 9.3
19, Galloway (MSUB) 2 18 9.0
20, Henning (CU) 3 26 8.7
REBOUNDING
G Reb Avg
1, Travis (UHH) 6 53 8.8
2, Henning (CU) 3 22 7.3
3, Skrifvars (MSUB) 2 14 7.0
4, Smylie (BYUH) 6 39 6.5
5, Bussey (HPU) 5 31 6.2
6, Fortier (MSUB) 2 12 6.0
7, Troupe (UHH) 6 35 5.8
8, Abrahams (UHH) 6 33 5.5
9, Newell (WNMU) 3 15 5.0
10, Tecul (HPU) 5 24 4.8
ASSISTS
G Ast Avg
1, Skrifvars (MSUB) 2 13 6.50
2, Carse (MSUB) 2 9 4.50
3, Noble (HPU) 5 22 4.40
4, Nobmann (BYUH) 6 25 4.17
5, Tecul (HPU) 5 19 3.80
6 (tie), Cabagnot (UHH) 6 22 3.67
6 (tie), Enriquez (WNMU) 3 11 3.67
8, Fortier (MSUB) 2 7 3.50
9, Munoz (MSUB) 2 6 3.00
10 (tie), Abrahams (UHH) 6 16 2.67
10 (tie), Stowell (BYUH) 6 16 2.67
10 (tie), Opunui (BYUH) 6 16 2.67
