Rainbow Wahine take on LaTech

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

TULSA, Okla. — Sixth-ranked Louisiana Tech has quickly ripped through its Western Athletic Conference women's basketball opponents since joining the conference last year. Hawai'i's best chance in today's WAC Tournament semifinal involves turning the Techsters into turtles.

A year ago here in the WAC championship, they stalled Tech's relentless running game only to lose by three. Now Hawai'i has nothing to lose while LaTech (27-2) has not lost in more than three months. The Techsters' 25-game winning streak became the country's longest this week when top-ranked Connecticut lost.

The Rainbows hope it will make for great theater this afternoon (10:30 a.m. HST) at Reynolds Center. The Techsters would prefer another sleeper. They have won their past eight games by an average of 30 points, hitting half their shots in the dominating process.

"Hawai'i is such a polar opposite of LaTech," said Boise State coach Jen Warden after her team lost to Tech 80-55 in a quarterfinal. "It's going to be the game tempo that dictates success. If Hawai'i can put LaTech in a halfcourt offense like we wanted to, they're big and strong and cover more space than we do just with their sheer size. They don't have to be as quick because they can cover so much ground. They can get rebounds with their size. LaTech, on the other hand, if they get to run on Hawai'i like they ran on us it will be in their favor."

The seemingly infinite to-do list for Hawai'i starts with sinking its shots and limiting Tech's putbacks. That first objective is not as easy as it sounds, particularly for a UH team whose offense has gone AWOL more than once this season. "If Hawai'i has a weakness it's that they might have trouble scoring," Warden says. "But their defense is just tremendous."

Hitting baskets is the best way to tame Tech's transition game. Defense directly relates to rebounding, which is what the Techsters' offense is all about. Though it is shooting 44 percent, LaTech is not blessed with plenty of pure shooters. In its 60-35 loss to Tennessee, it shot just 20 percent.

Most of its points come from point-blank range, often on putbacks. Against Boise, WAC Player of the Year Cheryl Ford and Trina Frierson, also a first-team selection, barely played half the game. They still combined for 37 points and 15 rebounds (many off the offensive glass). They missed but four shots between them. Ford, whose father is "Mailman" Karl Malone, ranks among the top five nationally in rebounds. Amber Obaze, who ultimately shot the 'Bows down 364 days ago, is the outside threat.

"We've got to get Ford in foul trouble and we can't let Obaze go off with her jumpers in transition," UH coach Vince Goo says. "But then they've got all these other people off the bench that hit the 3 and run the floor ... and Frierson can do the same things as Ford. She's just a little in her shadow. You can't relax on her."

Hawai'i might be in over its unranked head, but it has shown a flair for fearlessness during this closing surge. The 'Bows never passed on a shot in their 62-48 win over Tulsa Wednesday and their defense, particularly 6-foot-5 Christen Roper, was devastating. They didn't look like the timid team that lost its first seven road games this season.

"We just want to win," guard April Atuaia says. "We feel we're on a roll and hopefully that will carry on. (Wednesday) night was one of our best games defensively and offensively."

In contrast, five weeks ago in Honolulu, Tech outscored UH 32-10 in the final 14 minutes to win going away. This year's LaTech team, according to first-year coach Kurt Budke, pushes the ball more than last year's. It is in its element scoring in the 70's, while the Rainbows would favor the 50's today.

Budke believes his team hit its stride in Hawai'i. "That second half was us at our best, definitely," he says. "The confidence came around at that point because Hawai'i had played so well at home.

"But give Vince credit. Vince is a great coach. He doesn't try and trick anybody. They have a solid offense, don't turn the ball over, control tempo and do a great job of giving you one shot. They did a lot of things right here last year. We expect the same tomorrow."

• Gabriel will play: Senior point guard Michelle Gabriel is expected to start for Hawai'i today. Gabriel suffered a low ankle sprain Wednesday when she stepped on the foot of Tulsa's Allison Curtin.

Gabriel said her right ankle did not swell badly overnight. "I've sprained it before, it's got a lot of give," she explained.

The Rainbow Wahine's petite 5-foot-6 point has started all season. She walked on out of Maryknoll and earned a scholarship as a sophomore. Gabriel backed up Janka Gabrielova the last two years. She grabbed the starting position at the beginning of the season and has improved since.

If Gabriel can't play, her replacements are freshman Trisha Nishimoto and sophomore Milia Macfarlane.

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