Hawai'i shoots down No. 25 Utah State
• UH to host NIT game Monday
• UH's Blackett scores 18 in homecoming game
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Hawai'i guard Michael Kuebler scores two of his game-high 28 points. Kuebler, who had been struggling of late, hit 10 of 17 shots, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
Associated Press NIT All Times HST Yesterday's results Opening Round Niagara 87, Troy State 83 George Mason 58, Tennessee 55 West Virginia 65, Kent State 54 Rhode Island 80, Boston U. 52 Austin Peay 65, Belmont 59 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 91, Rice 53 Boise State 84, UNLV 69 First Round Hawai'i 85, Utah State 74 Notre Dame 71, Purdue 59 Virginia 79, George Washington 66 Rutgers 76, Temple 71 Villanova 85, Drexel 70 Florida State 91, Wichita State 84, 2OT Iowa State 82, Georgia 74 Oklahoma 70, LSU 61 Oregon 77, Colorado 72, OT Tomorrow's games Fist round Niagara (22-9) at Nebraska (17-12), 3 p.m. Rhode Island (20-13) vs. West Virginia (16-13), TBA George Mason (22-9) vs. Austin Peay (22-9), TBA Boise State (22-9) vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (20-10), TBA March 20-23 Second Round Hawai'i (20-11) vs. Nebraska-Niagara winner Villanova (17-16) vs. Virginia (18-12) Florida State (19-13) vs. Iowa State (18-12) Rutgers (17-12) vs. Rhode Island-West Virginia winner Marquette (18-11) vs. Boise State-Wisconsin-Milwaukee winner Oregon (16-12) vs. George Mason-Austin Peay winner Notre Dame (18-12) at St. Louis (19-12) Michigan (19-11) vs. Oklahoma (20-10) |
"We were as mentally ready for this game as we were for any other one this year," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "We didn't talk about any of the negative stuff we were up against. We just worked on our game plan and we came out and executed it."
As a result, the 'Bows pulled off one of their most significant victories in years. For starters, they improved to 20-11 — the 10th 20-win season in school history.
It was also the first time a Hawai'i team beat a Top 25 team on the road. And this was not an easy road.
As their reward, the 'Bows will get to host a second-round game Monday at the Stan Sheriff Center. They will play the winner of Friday's game between Niagara and Nebraska.
Yesterday, a crowd of 8,976 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum watched Utah State lose at home for the first time this season, and for only the 10th time in the last eight seasons. The Aggies, who were left out of the NCAA Tournament, finished their season 25-4.
"It would be so easy to say we weren't emotional and we weren't energized, but we just got our butts kicked tonight," said Utah State head coach Stew Morrill, dismissing what effect the NCAA snubbing might have had on the game. "I'm not going to make any excuses with any of the NCAA stuff. The reason why we lost this game was because of Hawai'i."
Led by the returns of two players, the 'Bows put on an offensive clinic against what was reputed to be one of the nation's best defensive teams.
Senior guard Michael Kuebler returned to top shooting form, scoring a game-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
"Coach has been getting on me to start knocking some shots down," Kuebler said. "So I just kept shooting and finally got some to fall."
Junior forward Jeff Blackett returned to his home state and had one of his best games of the season with 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting, six rebounds and three assists.
"I thought Blackett was huge for us, coming off the bench and giving us those kinds of numbers," Wallace said.
But there would be a lot of other huge numbers.
Senior Jason Carter, starting at point guard for only the fifth time this season, had 13 points, including 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range, and six assists.
Sophomore forward Julian Sensley was at his all-around best, recording 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots.
Overall, Hawai'i shot 61.8 percent from the field (34 of 55), including 61.5 percent from 3-point range (8 of 13). Of those 34 field goals, 22 came off assists.
"Everybody was talking about Utah State and how good they were," Carter said. "We decided we had nothing to lose, so we just came out and let loose."
Hawai'i hit 9 of its first 11 shots in building a 19-11 lead. A 9-0 run increased it to 34-24, and the 'Bows eventually took a 43-32 lead at intermission.
It was the most points allowed in a first half this season by the Aggies, who entered the game ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division I in scoring defense, allowing an average of 57.1 points per game.
"It seemed like everything was working from the start of the game," said Kuebler, who scored 14 in the first half.
"They were just real consistent with their movement," said Utah State guard Cardell Butler. "I had such a tough time trailing them."
Hawai'i built the lead to as much as 18 in the second half, then held off one last charge by the Aggies. Utah State got as close as 69-61 with 5:25 remaining, but the 'Bows never allowed it to get any closer.
Hawai'i clinched the game by making 6 of 6 free throws in the final 1:39.
The 85 points were the most allowed by Utah State this season, and Hawai'i is now 33-0 since the 2000-01 season when scoring at least 80 points, including 9-0 this season.
"I said I didn't want anybody hesitating on open shots," Wallace said. "I figured good shots would be hard to come by, so I wanted us to take the first good one. Luckily, we made most of 'em."
Prior to last night's game, much of the college basketball world seemed to focus on Utah State being snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. Since the tournament expanded its field in 1985, the Aggies were the first eligible team to be ranked in the top 25 and not get selected.
"We didn't have any energy, no enthusiasm, no nothing," Butler said. "That's why we lost. It had nothing to do with the (NCAA) committee. It was us."
Wallace said his primary plan was to get an early lead to play on the Aggies' fragile emotions.
"I knew they were going to come out ready to play," Wallace said. "But I figured if we got up on them, they might start hanging their heads."
The only consistent Utah State player was forward Spencer Nelson. Playing with a face mask to protect a broken nose, Nelson had team-highs of 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.
• • •
LOGAN, Utah — The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team will have one last hana hou at the Stan Sheriff Center.
After upsetting No. 25 Utah State, 85-74, in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament yesterday, the Rainbow Warriors were awarded a home game for the second round.
The 'Bows will play on Monday against the winner of tomorrow's game between Nebraska and Niagara. Tip-off at SSC is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m.
"It's the best news we could get," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "This team deserves another home game, and our fans deserve to see another home game. Give the assist to (Hawai'i athletic director) Herman Frazier on this one."
Tickets, with prices ranging from $5 to $18, will be on sale today from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., and can be purchased at the Stan Sheriff Center box office, or online at etickethawaii.com. Any remaining tickets will be sold tomorrow (8 a.m.-4 p.m.), Saturday (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) and Sunday (noon-4 p.m.).
• • •
UH's Blackett scores 18 in homecoming game
LOGAN, Utah — Ned and Linda Blackett always dreamed of their son, Jeff, starring on a college basketball court in Utah.
They never figured on him doing it while wearing a University of Hawai'i uniform.
But that's the unlikely scenario that happened yesterday as forward Jeff Blackett scored 18 points to spark Hawai'i to an 85-74 upset of No. 25 Utah State.
"Once I made the decision to attend Hawai'i (last year), I never thought I'd get a chance to play any of these teams in Utah that I grew up watching," said Jeff, who was raised in Ogden, Utah. "I guess I took advantage of it."
With about 45 friends and relatives in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Blackett had one of his best games of the season. He made 9 of 12 shots, and also contributed six rebounds and three assists.
"I actually wanted him to play here at Utah State because we knew what kind of program it was," Ned Blackett said. "But Hawai'i came along and it was a better fit, and Jeff made the right choice, obviously."
Blackett came off the bench early in yesterday's game in place of starter Phil Martin. He scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half.
"Blackett had a great night," Utah State head coach Stew Morrill said. "It was probably a fun night for him coming back home and performing like that. It wasn't much fun for me, though."
Blackett attended Weber High in Ogden, which is about a 45-minute drive from Logan. He then attended Salt Lake Community College — which is about a 2-hour drive from Logan — before transferring to Hawai'i.
He said he knew several of the players on the Utah State roster, and predicted before yesterday's game that the 'Bows would be able to "match up better than what people might think."
Blackett said he was also inspired by the presence of his wife, Lindsey, at last night's game. Lindsey is also from Utah, and many of her family members attended the game.
Lindsey works at a bank in Honolulu, and took time off this week, even though she didn't know the 'Bows would be in Logan.
"I put in my vacation early because I thought we would be in the NCAA (Tournament)," she said. "I can't believe it worked out like this."
It was the first time that Jeff and Lindsey returned to Utah together since moving to Hawai'i last summer.
Record shooter: Senior guard Michael Kuebler broke the Hawai'i single-season record for 3-pointers yesterday.
He made four 3-pointers, increasing his total to 91, which is two better than the previous record set by Carl English last season.
Sneak preview: Utah State is currently in the Big West Conference, but will join Hawai'i in the Western Athletic Conference starting in the 2005-06 season.
"Well, we know what we're up against now," Utah State head coach Stew Morrill said.
