Different look, same attitude spur UH-Hilo
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
Despite the loss of two projected starters, the Hawai'i-Hilo men's basketball team has not missed a beat with a revamped lineup that has led to a 4-0 start.
"Definitely, it's a different team than I thought it would be in July or August," said UH-Hilo coach Jeff Law, whose first-place Vulcans are without 6-foot-4 guard Justin Griffin and 6-7 forward Joe Travis.
Griffin, who averaged 12.6 points per game last season, is redshirting to concentrate on his studies so he can graduate by 2006. Travis, who averaged 14.4 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds, injured his right knee and is scheduled to have surgery in January. Both players are scheduled to return next season, Law said.
"We've got a lot of work to do," Law said. "But everyone is working hard. I'd rather be 4-0 than 0-4 or anywhere in between."
One of the keys to the Vulcans' success this season has been the play of 6-6 senior forward Osadonor "Skip" Esene, the Pacific West Conference Player of the Week.
"Coach Law said at the beginning of the year to get off on a good foot," said Esene, who redshirted last season to concentrate on academics. "Losing (Griffin and Travis) is a big factor, but we have so much confidence in the players we have now. I feel good about our season."
Esene averaged 20.8 points in the Vulcans' four victories last week, topped by a 30-point performance in a 73-69 victory over Hillsdale (Mich.) on Saturday.
Esene scored 19 in a 78-63 victory over Carleton (Minn.) on Nov. 24. He added 14 in a 84-70 win over Seattle Pacific on Friday and had 20 in a 63-59 victory over Shippensburg (Pa.) on Sunday.
He also averaged 6.3 rebounds and shot 52.4 percent from the field in those games. Esene currently ranks third in the PacWest in scoring, eighth in rebounding and eighth in field-goal percentage.
"I'm just having fun," Esene said. "As far as carrying a big load, I don't feel the whole load is on me. We have such a good team. Everyone is carrying their own weight."
In addition to Esene's performance, UH-Hilo has received solid production from reserves such as senior guard Kimo Keiter-Charles (5.8 ppg), senior swing player Joe Marsh (4.5 ppg), sophomore swing player Justin Dobson (7.8 ppg) and senior guard West Hawthorne (6.5 ppg), Law said.
"We have good, hard-nosed kids who have accepted their roles," Law said. "We have nine or 10 guys who are getting a lot of minutes. We're trying to focus on quality time instead of quantity time — having players do something good when they're in there."
This season, Law has started point guard Alex Cabagnot (11.5 ppg), shooting guard Brian Graham (10.5 ppg), small forward Esene, power forward Terrance Troupe (5.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and center Alex Graham (5.8 rpg).
"We're a little bigger than we have been," Law said. "I'm excited about this year with the games we have left, and I'm excited about next year, too."
PACIFIC WEST CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL STANDINGS
PacWest Overall
Hawai'i Hilo 0-0 4-0
MSU-Billings 0-0 3-0
BYU-Hawai'i 0-0 4-1
Hawai'i Pacific 0-0 3-2
Chaminade 0-0 3-3
Western New Mexico 0-0 1-3
Last week's results
Brigham Young-Hawai'i 97, Oakland City 75
Texas 84, Chaminade 62
Louisville 93, Chaminade 63
Brigham Young 77, Chaminade 56
Chaminade 82, Carleton 79
Chaminade 70, Coastal Carolina 61
Hawai'i-Hilo 78, Carleton 63
Hawai'i-Hilo 84, Seattle Pacific 70
Hawai'i-Hilo 73, Hillsdale 69
Hawai'i-Hilo 63, Shippensburg 59
Montana State-Billings 88, Ohio Valley 73
Montana State-Billings 104, Ohio Valley 67
Colorado State-Pueblo 80, Western N. Mexico 78
Western N. Mexico 79, New Mexico Highlands 75
This week's results
Hawai'i Pacific 77, Carleton 74
Brigham Young-Hawai'i 81, Hawai'i Pacific 73
Western N. Mexico at New Mexico Highlands, late
Volleyball
Narkon named to All-America team
Western New Mexico's Liz Narkon was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association Third-Team All-American for NCAA Division II.
Narkon, a 6-0 sophomore outside hitter, led the Pacific West Conference in kills per game (4.95). The 2000 St. Francis graduate was seventh in digs (2.85) and 10th in hitting percentage (.246). She also was named to the AVCA All-Region Team.
Hawai'i Pacific's Flavia Brakling and Barbara Martin were named to the Daktronics Pacific Regional Volleyball All-Star Second Team. Brakling, a 6-0 junior outside hitter, averaged 4.30 kills, 2.61 digs and 0.43 blocks per game.
Martin, a 6-2 junior middle blocker, averaged 3.03 kills and 2.04 digs per game. Her .415 hitting percentage ranked second in the PacWest and seventh nationally. Her 1.63 blocks per game ranked first in the PacWest and 11th nationally.
Academics
Athletes with Hawai'i ties earn honors
A total of 21 student-athletes with Hawai'i ties were named to the 2004 Fall Academic All-Conference teams.
To qualify, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average and be in at least their second year at their current schools. Brigham Young-Hawai'i cross country runner Kristina Folsom led Hawai'i student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA.
Volleyball Academic All-Conference: Flavia Brakling (HPU, jr., 3.56 GPA, Journalism), Rose Ramsay (UH-Hilo, sr., 3.53, Business Administration), Kahala Kabalis (Chaminade, Sr., 3.50, Criminal Justice), Kalae Araujo (Chaminade, sr., 3.44, Psychology), Lesina Funaki (BYUH, so., 3.44, Biology/Exercise Science), Patti Hardimon (Chaminade, so., 3.43, Biology), Federica Tonon (BYUH, jr., 3.39, International Business), Elizabeth Narkon (Western New Mexico, so., 3.38, Chemical Dependency).
Men's Cross Country Academic All-Conference: Seth Miller (Chaminade, so., 3.81, undecided), Andrew Kamikawa (Chaminade, jr., 3.75, Accounting), Frank Dabrosky (Chaminade, sr., 3.38, Political Science).
Women's Cross Country Academic All-Conference: Kristina Folsom (BYUH, so., 4.00, Intercultural Studies), Leilani Kaluhiokalani-Myers (Chaminade, jr., 3.96, Elementary Education), Lara Bachmieir (UH-Hilo, jr., 3.86, Biology), Melissa Flake (BYUH, so., 3.83, Exercise and Sports Science), Chelsea Smith (BYUH, jr., 3.83, Exercise and Sports Science), Kristina Hutmacher (Chaminade, so., 3.81, undecided), Denise Anders (Chaminade, sr., 3.65, undecided), Jami Parsons (UH-Hilo, sr., 3.56, Health and Physical Education), Heather Postema (HPU, sr., 3.49, unavailable), Masako Sagawa (HPU, sr., 3.49, unavailable).
Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertis er.com or 535-2458.
