Reserves answered Riley's call
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Columnist
So, what did they do with the real Riley Wallace?
You know, the one you'd sometimes swear believes that a bench is something you sit on, not a place you look to for a whole lot of help from the reserves.
The one who thinks labeling somebody a "starter" means you have to use them for at least 38 minutes a game.
Clearly, that Wallace, or at least the dog-eared page in his playbook, wasn't in the Stan Sheriff Center — where the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team went to its bench early, often and in long stretches to snap a three-game losing streak with a 73-71 victory over Nevada last night.
In a game the Rainbow Warriors had to have, Wallace wasn't afraid to break with convention to accomplish it, going 10-deep into the roster. In a game that could have meant their season, Wallace got everybody — or what sometimes seemed like it — involved in the save.
And, maybe, just maybe that was part of the difference between another close loss and a must-have-it win. After too often coming up short in the final 3 minutes lately, having some fresher legs at the end of this one sure didn't hurt.
Even Wallace acknowledged as much, saying, "I have a tendency to leave Carl (English) in too long and (the rest) might have helped his legs and his last shot some."
English, who averages 36 minutes a game and relishes every one of them, got, for him, the biggest rest in a month. He played 33 minutes, and hit the go-ahead basket with 17 seconds left.
Four days after employing just six players in a bewildering loss to San Jose State, Wallace went to the bench in the first 3 minutes, 33 seconds. He brought in the sparingly used Vaidotas Peciukas, who would play a season-high 29 minutes and contribute a much-needed six points, three assists and two rebounds.
Not because of foul trouble, either. And that would be just the start: Jason Carter, Milos Zivanovic and Ikaika Alama-Francis all joined Nkeruwem "Tony" Akpan in first-half action on a night when the bench contributed 16 points.
"They helped us out big time," sighed starting forward Phil Martin, who said his "burning legs" welcomed the respite.
Undoubtedly a large reason for the change in player deployment from Saturday was the difference in opposition and tempo: Nevada's fast break versus San Jose State's slow-it-to-a-yawn pace.
But maybe Wallace, who has been hesitant to go to his bench this season, liked enough of what he saw last night to return there more often now.
