No dry run for 'Bows, 'Dogs

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	WAC BASKETBALL Who: Hawai'i (8-2 overall, 0-0 WAC) vs. Fresno State (4-5, 0-0) Where: Stan Sheriff Center When: Today, 7:05 p.m. Tickets: $16 for all lower level seats, $12 for upper level adult seats, $5 for upper level student seats, $8 for Super Rooter seats. Parking is $3. TV/Radio: Live on KFVE (Ch. 5) and KKEA radio (1420 AM)

Heavy rains made the courts in UH's Gym II too slippery and dangerous, so the Rainbow Warriors held a walk-through practice — literally — yesterday in preparation for today's Western Athletic Conference opener against Fresno State.

"We can't run or we'll get somebody hurt," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "So we just had a mental practice."

The Stan Sheriff Center was unavailable for basketball practice yesterday because of the UH men's volleyball team's alumni match.

Fresno State also had problems in Gym II and opted to finish its practice session in Klum Gym, which wasn't exactly a solution.

"It just makes us look bad," Wallace said. "Now when we go (to Fresno) they can turn it around and put us in their (version of) Gym II instead of their arena."

Wallace said he hoped to run a "hard" practice yesterday against a scout team that was prepared to simulate Fresno State.

"That's where it could hurt us," he said.

The hurting didn't end there. Starting forward Julian Sensley sat out his second consecutive day of practice yesterday because of a bruised left shoulder.

Sensley, who is averaging 10.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, said: "It's improved a lot. (Thursday) I couldn't even lift my hand above my head. (Yesterday), I can at least rotate it a little bit."

Sensley is still a game-time decision, but Wallace wants him to play only if he is at full strength.

"He's either ready to start or not (play) at all," Wallace said.

If not, 6-foot-8 junior Jeff Blackett will likely make his first start of the season at small forward.

"Obviously, when one of the starters can't go, it's going to hurt the team," Blackett said. "But I feel pretty confident that I know the position well enough to play it in a game situation."

The Bulldogs know all about filling in this season.

Senior starters Renaldo Major and Jonathan Woods, who average a combined 27.1 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, did not make the trip because they are serving suspensions for violating team rules.

"It's a distraction for all of us," Fresno State head coach Ray Lopes said. "I think a big reason why we're 4-5 is because of the turmoil off the floor. Maybe turmoil is a bad word, just a lack of responsibility by some individuals."

Fresno State players have sat out a combined 14 games due to suspensions this season, including tonight.

Perhaps because of a lack of depth, the Bulldogs have been using a slow-paced attack. They rank last in the WAC in scoring, but first in defense.

"(Defense) is the only thing we do well," Lopes said. "We don't score very well, so we have to be good defensively."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.