Owls are soaring, scoring surprise

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

That myth about Mainland Rice being no good? Don't believe it.

So good that the Rainbow Warriors are not even thinking about Saturday's showdown with Tulsa just yet.

"Rice is as talented as any team in the WAC this year," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "If we start thinking about anything else besides this game, we'll get beat."

The Owls are 12-5 overall and tied for third place in the Western Athletic Conference at 4-3. They finished eighth in the conference last season, and were predicted to finish no higher than seventh this season.

Hawai'i is 11-5 overall and in sixth place in the WAC at 4-4.

"This is the best (Rice) team they've had since they've been in the league," Wallace said. "They've always had great players, but this year, they're good, they're healthy and they're playing together. They're for real."

The proof may be in the statistics.

Rice leads all WAC teams in scoring offense (78.2 points per game), scoring margin (+7.8 per game), field-goal percentage (.485), 3-point field-goal percentage (.407), free-throw percentage (.734) and assists (16.8 per game).

The Owls have found success with a newfound up-tempo style that has resulted in at least 70 points in every WAC game they have played this season.

"That's new," Wallace said. "They used to slow it down, now they're pushing it. It shows that (Rice coach Willis Wilson) has adjusted his game to his talent."

During an intense two-hour practice session yesterday, the 'Bows worked primarily on transition defense — dropping back to stop the Rice running game.

"They like to run the floor, even their big men," UH junior forward Phil Martin said. "We have to make adjustments on our defense and be ready to run, too."

Wallace said he only wants to be prepared for a run-and-gun game, and doesn't necessarily want to turn it into one.

"We'll pick our spots to run because they give up some points," Wallace said. "But they've got a lot of players, and they've shown that they can win with that style."

As proof of Rice's depth, its most talented player, sophomore Michael Harris, is the team's sixth man. The 6-foot-6 forward ranks among the top 10 in the WAC in both scoring (14.7 points per game) and rebounding (7.8). He also leads the conference and is second among all NCAA Division I players with a .656 field-goal percentage.

"The guy's got crazy hops," Martin said of Harris' jumping ability. "We're going to have to put a body on him at all times or he'll get a lot of dunks."

Harris is one of four Rice players averaging double-figure points. The others are Omar-Seli Mance (17.6), Jason McKreith (13.3) and Brock Gillespie (10.8).

"It shows how deep we are and how unselfish we are as a team," Mance said. "I think the key to our success has been everybody realizing their roles."

Mance, a 6-2 senior guard, leads the team and is fourth in the WAC in scoring. He also leads the conference with 54 3-pointers, and is second with a .422 percentage from long range.

"I don't think anybody on this team was content with us being picked in the lower half of the conference," he said. "We knew what kind of team we had from the start. With each game, we've grown and matured and now we feel like we can play with any team."

But since joining the WAC in 1997, Rice has found little success against Hawai'i. The 'Bows have won seven of eight WAC meetings between the teams, and Rice is 0-4 all-time in the Stan Sheriff Center.

"Hawai'i has always run a very good offense," Mance said. "To their credit, they've always given us problems because of their experience."

What's more, Hawai'i has won 22 consecutive games in the Stan Sheriff Center, the fourth-longest home winning streak in NCAA Division I, and four shy of the school record.

"It would be a big statement if we could come in here and win this game," McKreith said. "But that's what we're here for. We didn't come here for a vacation."

The Owls arrived in Honolulu on Tuesday afternoon, but it has been mostly business

"I'm from New York, so it would be natural for me to enjoy all of Hawai'i," McKreith said. "But I didn't even bring any swim trunks, that's how much we're concentrating on this game."

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