Posted on: Friday, January 30, 2004

Rainbow Wahine fall to 7th in WAC

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i had the breakthrough basketball victory it has been seeking in its grasp last night. Rice grabbed it away, leaving the Stan Sheriff Center with a share of first place in the Western Athletic Conference and the young Rainbow Wahine to ponder again what it takes to win.

The Owls (10-7, 7-1 WAC) took their first lead with 11:59 remaining and never let it go in a 61-56 victory before 540 spectators. Their fourth straight win keeps them tied with ninth-ranked Louisiana Tech. Rice gave the Techsters their only conference loss this season, and their only two in two-plus WAC seasons.

Hawai'i (5-12, 3-5) dropped into seventh with a fatal 10-minute lapse in the middle of the second half. Before that, it frustrated Rice into bad shots and bad fouls, going up by as many as seven.

In the end, UH coach Vince Goo was the frustrated one.

"It was frustrating because I felt the game was so inconsistent," he said. "We couldn't get a rhythm going. ... But you've got to give Rice credit because they came back and played a lot better in the second half. That's what happens when you're a good team. But our young kids battled right with them."

Rice, a team that thrives on quickness and its inside game, settled for throwing up 11 3-pointers in the first half, connecting on just one.

"We weren't very smart tonight, but we played hard," Rice coach Cristy McKinney said. "Hawai'i does that to you sometimes."

With the Owls ice cold —they didn't have a basket in the first four minutes — the 'Bows took control. Freshman Janevia Taylor hit her first two shots to put Hawai'i up from the start. UH, a notoriously bad first-half team this season, upped its advantage by getting the Owls into early foul trouble. It outscored them 9-3 from the line in the first half and hit its last seven attempts.

The other shots did not fall as easily, allowing Rice to stay in it. The Owls stifled Jade Abele, the WAC's second-leading scorer. She didn't get her first basket until 3:48 before halftime. The 3-pointer gave the 'Bows their biggest advantage (25-18).

Rice trailed 29-26 at the break. The deficit grew to 35-30 when the Owls missed 5 of 6 to open the second half. Then they found their game and their scoring groove.

Rice took its first lead, at 38-36, on Lindsey Maynard's first basket, with 11:59 remaining. While out-scoring the Rainbows 25-9 — to charge into a 51-42 lead — the Owls connected on 9 of 11 shots. Most came from inside as Elisa Inman, who had a season-high 16 points, and Michelle Woods (15) took the ball right over the smaller 'Bow posts.

"That's what we didn't want them to do," Taylor said. "We knew they had good posts, knew their posts were their offense. But it seemed like we couldn't do anything about it."

Hawai'i never got closer than five again, despite getting double-digit scoring from Taylor (15), Amy Sanders (11), April Atuaia (10) and Abele (10).

OVER AND BACK: Hawai'i's 44-39 loss at UTEP Jan. 22 was the lowest scoring game in WAC history. ...ÊWhen Jade Abele fouled out at Boise last week it was the first time a Rainbow Wahine had fouled out in 24 games. ... Pam Tambini and Callie Spooner, who were starting for Hawai'i before injuring their ankles, have been cleared to play but did not come off the bench last night. Tambini has missed the last 10 games and Spooner the last six. UH coach Vince Goo said he doesn't expect to put them in until next week.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.