Posted on: Sunday, August 22, 2004
Electricians claim summer hoops title
By Stanley Lee
Advertiser Staff Writer
It was a look at the stars of yesterday and the stars of tomorrow.
University of Hawai'i recruit Matt Gibson and current 'Bow Bobby Nash each scored 24 points as Electricians Hawai'i defeated Mango Moon, 103-101, in the championship game of the NCAA Summer Basketball League last night.
More than 300 fans filled Manoa Recreational Center to see current local college basketball players play alongside former local stars.
"It's really good to see the up-and-coming players out here working during the summer," said former 'Bow Tes Whitlock, who now lives in Anaheim, Calif. "I wished there were more out here. It's good for the team and the program."
While Electricians (8-4) controlled the game from the start, the night belonged to Whitlock and Justice Sueing, another former UH player, who nearly carried Mango Moon (7-5) to victory by scoring 45 and 40 points, respectively.
Mango Moon, which trailed by as much as 15, closed to 101-98 on a basket by Altrekia Christmas with 34 seconds remaining.
After an Electricians turnover, Whitlock missed back-to-back 3s. Electricians' Tim Shepherd was then fouled but missed two free throws with 21 seconds left.
Whitlock then lost the ball out of bounds with 11 seconds remaining. Nash made two free throws to give Electricians a 103-98 lead, but Whitlock made one of his six 3s with three seconds left to make it 103-101.
Gibson then missed both of his free throws and Whitlock's final full-court heave bounced off the right side of the backboard.
"I was thinking of BYU but I guess that only happens once in a lifetime," said Whitlock, recalling his game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer against the Cougars in a 73-70 win in 1995.
Summer league games are similar to NCAA games with two 20-minute halves. There is no shot clock but the way the players run on every possession, one wouldn't be needed. An average possession takes no longer than 15 seconds and defense is a loose man-to-man.
"Running up and down is part of the game," Gibson said. "You got to keep going no matter how bad it hurts."
For Gibson, a transfer from Three Rivers Community College (Mo.), it gave him a chance to play with his future teammates.
"I like my teammates a whole lot," said Gibson, who was also on the same team as Julian Sensley. "It's going to be a real good season this year. Real good chemistry already and everybody likes everybody. It's a good atmosphere."
Nash said the upcoming team is "loaded" and predicts a good season, even though it lost point guard Logan Lee.
"The loss of Logan was big," Nash said. "But for every negative, there is a positive at the end of the rainbow."
Reach Stanley Lee at slee@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8533.
