honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, February 6, 2003

'Bows go from bored to boards at LaTech tonight

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

RUSTON, La. — In the middle of nowhere, entertainment can be found in simple pleasures.

In a town with no shopping mall, no movie theater, no sports bar and no nightclub, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team managed to make its own fun yesterday.

In the lobby of the Hampton Inn, an impromptu "paper football" game — the one where you flick a piece of paper with your finger — turned into a heated one-hour tournament with all the Rainbow Warriors participating.

"I guess it kind of shows how boring this place is," UH junior Phil Martin said. "I wouldn't want to reside here, I know that."

The 'Bows have been in Ruston since Monday morning. Yesterday, they mostly stayed indoors because sleet and 30-degree temperatures were waiting outside.

The 'Bows hope to heat up today when they play a Western Athletic Conference game against Louisiana Tech today at 3 p.m. (Hawai'i time).

"The good thing is I think we've adjusted (to the four-hour time difference)," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "We haven't been doing too much, but sometimes that can be a good thing."

Junior guard Michael Kuebler, who is on his first trip to Ruston, added: "There's really not much to this place except our hotel. That means there's less distractions, so it's probably a good thing."

The 'Bows will need to be focused against a resurgent Louisiana Tech team that has won two consecutive games after five consecutive losses.

Hawai'i is 13-5 overall and in third place in the WAC at 6-4. The Bulldogs are 7-9 overall and tied for sixth place in the conference at 4-5.

The 'Bows beat the Bulldogs, 57-53, last month at the Stan Sheriff Center. That was victory No. 21 in UH's ongoing 24-game home winning streak.

But away from the sun and sand, its been a different scenario. Hawai'i is 1-5 on the road this season, including four consecutive losses.

Louisiana Tech's Thomas Assembly Center seats 8,000 but less than 3,000 are expected today, a factor that could work against UH.

"You have to be at a fever pitch to win on the road, and those loud rowdy crowds help get you to that level," Wallace said. "Here, it's a nice arena, it's just not a good atmosphere."

The game will feature two of the WAC's top individual players in Hawai'i's Carl English and LaTech's Antonio Meeking. English, a 6-foot-5 guard, leads the WAC in scoring at 20.9 points per game.

"He's such a tough kid mentally," LaTech head coach Keith Richard said. "You might hold him down for 10, 20, maybe 30 minutes, and then he'll just explode on you and start hitting every shot."

Meeking, a 6-8, 265-pound forward, is averaging 18.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. In last month's loss at Hawai'i, he had 23 points and 12 rebounds.

"He's one of the biggest, meanest guys I've ever come across," said Martin, one of the 'Bows who will rotate defending Meeking. "He's the toughest post guy in the WAC."

Meeking said: "I kind of did have my way inside against Hawai'i, but that wasn't enough. I have to do more this time because we lost the game last time."

After that game, Richard openly complained about the officiating because Hawai'i shot 27 free throws to LaTech's 10. Wallace said he does not expect the same advantage today.

"Every team seems to get more calls at home," Wallace said. "It's just one more thing you have to overcome to win on the road."

• • •