China thwarts UH, 80-74
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Rainbow Wahine basketball team unveiled its "run and gun and don't miss" offense last night and nearly toppled a gigantic Chinese National Team in the process.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
Behind a second-half surge, Hawai'i flirted with a major upset against one of the top 10 teams in the world before falling in the final minutes, 80-74, in an exhibition game at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Hawai'i guard Janevia Taylor, right, tries to pass off against China's Zhang Lin. Taylor, one of six freshmen on the team, scored eight points.
Hawai'i rallied from an 11-point first-half deficit and led 72-71 with 2:21 remaining. But the Rainbow Wahine committed three turnovers in their last six possessions and were outscored 9-2.
"I'm very much pleased," Hawai'i coach Vince Goo said. "One of the things we wanted to do tonight was come out and respect our opponents, but not have any fear for them. I think we competed very hard tonight."
A crowd of 642 got its first glimpse of the Rainbow Wahine's new uniforms, new uptempo offense and a platoon substitution system used for first time since the 1991-92 season.
Hawai'i also showcased most of its youthful lineup that has given it the distinction of being the fourth-youngest Division I team in the nation, according to a poll by Loyola College.
"Half the team has never played a Division I game in their life, and to come out and play a national team it's good experience for them," said guard April Atuaia, UH's lone senior. "They did good."
Hawai'i's six freshmen — Janevia Taylor, Dalia Solia, Bryony Crouch, Pam Tambini, Amber Lee and Brittany Grice — combined to score 40 points. They also seemed unfazed by China's height advantage. China had only three players shorter than 6 feet.
"There was no need to be intimidated," Taylor said. "We weren't thinking about that. We were just thinking about playing good and working as a team."
For the game, China held the edge in points off turnovers (22 to 7), fast-break points (18 to 2) and points in the paint (44 to 34). In the second half, Hawai'i allowed just six fast-break points and shot 58 percent, but couldn't solve China's half-court trap in the final minutes.
"That was the first time we've seen it this year," Goo said of the trap. "They threw us off rhythm and they got some turnovers off that."
China's swing player Miao Lijie said she was impressed with Hawai'i. Lijie, Sui Feifei and Wang Ling each scored 15 points. Hawai'i's Atuaia scored a team-high 15.
"They work very hard," Lijie said through a translator. "They're very strong, and play good defense. They were not very organized in the first half, but they got better in the second half."
Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458.
