Hawai'i sporting events to play as scheduled

Advertiser Staff

Sports involving Hawai'i teams are scheduled to go on as planned.

President Bush on Monday called for war with Iraq, giving an ultimatum for Saddam Hussein to surrender by today.

But for now:

• Hawai'i will play tonight at Nevada-Las Vegas in a National Invitation Tournament men's basketball game, though both coaches said they have prepared their teams for a possible postponement or cancellation.

• The UH baseball team will host Coastal Carolina tonight at Rainbow Stadium.

• UH volleyball games against Pacific on Friday and Saturday are scheduled to take place.

"The NCAA is not postponing any games at this time; therefore we will conduct business as usual unless the situation escalates, at which time, we will re-evaluate," said Tom Sadler, UH associate athletics director.

The UNLV and UH basketball coaches already have discussed alternatives.

"My feeling is that security might be more of an issue here than maybe some other cities," UNLV head coach Charlie Spoonhour said. "We also need to show respect for the people going to protect us and the people who make those decisions. I will understand completely if they say we can't play this game."

UH coach Riley Wallace said he told his team yesterday that there is a possibility that the game could be canceled.

"I just told them to be ready for that," Wallace said. "If that's the decision, we have to respect it."

The Hawai'i Invitational softball tournament will go on as scheduled without Nittaidai, which pulled out because of the threat of war, UH spokesman Markus Owens said. Tokyo arrived Sunday and will play in the tournament, Owens said.

Games will go on until further notice in the Division II ranks as well.

Hawai'i Pacific is scheduled to play Concordia in a baseball doubleheader today at Aloha Stadium. In softball, Western New Mexico is scheduled to play at Brigham Young-Hawai'i and Hawai'i-Hilo is scheduled to play Hawai'i Pacific today. Three women's tennis matches also are scheduled for today.

"Right now, we're trying to maintain a sense of normalcy with in-state competition," said Hawai'i-Hilo athletic director Kathleen McNally, who added school administrators and Pacific West Conference officials were devising contingency plans involving travel and remaining schedules. "We're trying to get a full picture of 'what if.'"

High schools haven't postponed any games yet.

The public-school O'ahu Interscholastic Association also will play on, according to a league spokesperson.

The OIA East opens its girls basketball season with four games.

The private-school Interscholastic League of Honolulu has no games scheduled for today.

"As of now, we are status quo" on schedules, said Blane Gaison, co-interim executive secretary of the ILH.

"Our principals and athletic directors will meet on Thursday" and probably will discuss the matter, he said.