Close is not enough for Rainbow Wahine
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
On paper, the rematch appears to be a mismatch, but don't tell that to the University of Hawai'i women's basketball team when it hosts conference-leader Louisiana Tech tonight.
"It's going to be who wants it more," Hawai'i center Brittany Grice said. "We need to want it more. We just have to come in with that mindset."
Grice
The Rainbow Wahine have never defeated the Lady Techsters, a team that has won the Western Athletic Conference every year since entering the league in 2001-02. Hawai'i is 0-14 against Louisiana Tech, including a 68-54 loss at Ruston, La., on Jan. 15.
If that's not enough, the Lady Techsters (14-5 overall, 10-1 WAC) will have the WAC's Preseason Player of Year, Erica Taylor, in their rematch with Hawai'i (8-9, 4-6). Taylor missed the earlier game after giving birth to a girl.
Still, the Rainbow Wahine believe they can be the second WAC team this season to upset the three-time defending conference champions. Boise State defeated visiting Louisiana Tech, 62-59, on Jan. 27 and snapped the Lady Techsters' regular-season conference winning streak at 23.
"I really think there's a lot of parity within our conference," Grice said. "The difference between first and second, and even where we are now, I don't think there's really that big of a difference. Any team can be beaten on a given night. Boise State proved that."
In its Jan. 15 game against Louisiana Tech, Hawai'i held three 10-point leads in the first half — including a 34-24 advantage with 2:36 remaining — and led 34-32 at halftime. However, Hawai'i was stung by a 15-4 Louisiana Tech surge to start the second half, and was outscored 36-20 in the half.
"If we play the way we played in the first 17 minutes of that game, then we'll be in (tonight's) game," first-year Hawai'i coach Jim Bolla said. "We have to get out of this habit of not playing a full half. We played really well down there."
Added Grice: "We had them at their place. It was so difficult not to be able to pull it off. We need to finish the job this time."
For the third consecutive week, Hawai'i will face the reigning WAC Player of the Week when it takes on the Lady Techsters' star guard Tasha Crain, who averaged 25 points, 6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in victories over Fresno State and Nevada over the weekend. Crain leads the WAC in scoring at 17.7 points per game, and adds 4.4 assists per game.
The Rainbow Wahine will likely counter with forwards Jade Abele (11.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and Amy Sanders (11.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg), center Grice (5.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and guards Milia Macfarlane (7.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg) and Janevia Taylor (11.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg).
Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458
