'Bows buoyed by victory

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

RENO, Nev. — Spring was in the air yesterday.

Fittingly, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team had a spring in its step as it prepared for today's quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

"We're a confident team right now," senior forward Jeff Blackett said. "I'm sure if you ask the other teams, no one wants to play us right now. We know we have what it takes."

The Rainbow Warriors will play Texas-El Paso in today's quarterfinals at 10 a.m. (Hawai'i time) at Lawlor Events Center.

"I think it helps to have some of our fans and family members here," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "You can see the guys have more energy. Of course, winning helps you feel that way, too."

The 'Bows are coming off an emphatic 70-48 victory over San Jose State in the first round of the tournament on Tuesday. It will be a tougher task today against a UTEP team that has already defeated Hawai'i twice this season.

Hawai'i is 16-12 and the No. 7 seed in the tournament. The Miners are 24-7 and the No. 2 seed.

"You don't win that many games if you're not good," Wallace said of UTEP. "We have our work cut out for us, no question."

The 'Bows practiced at Sparks High School yesterday, and the emphasis of the two-hour workout was on defense.

Hawai'i has held three consecutive opponents to fewer than 60 points, but UTEP is the top scoring team in the WAC with an average of 74.4 points per game.

The Miners feature two of the best players in the WAC in senior point guard Filiberto Rivera and senior forward Omar Thomas. Rivera leads the WAC with 7.2 assists per game; Thomas is averaging 20.2 points per game. Both players were named to the All-WAC first team this week.

"We have to somehow contain those two," Wallace said. "It's not going to be easy. Those guys are so good, you can't shut them down completely. But you hope to keep them below their averages, at least."

A key to Hawai'i's defensive success is 7-foot center Chris Botez, who has emerged as a force in the last two games.

"I started the year off good, then I let it go; I don't know why," Botez said. "But I got it in my head that this was the last chance for this team to do something and I want to make sure I do my part."

Jake Sottos, one of three Hawai'i seniors, said: "We're a totally different team when (Botez) brings his big presence to the middle. He changes shots and helps us with the inside game on both ends."

Botez could be a force again today because UTEP does not start a player taller than 6-8. However, the Miners make up for it with quickness, especially on the perimeter.

"Our guards are going to have to be on their toes," Wallace said. "Because those (UTEP) guards like to drive and penetrate past you."

The Miners beat Hawai'i, 71-70, in El Paso on Jan. 20, and then 71-67 in Honolulu on Feb. 21.

"They're one of the top two teams in the WAC and we were right there to the end in both games," Blackett said. "So we know we can hang right there with them."

Sottos scored just three points in the victory over San Jose State, but he is averaging 17.5 points per game against UTEP this season. Sottos and Rivera were teammates on the Southeastern Community College (Iowa) team that won the junior college national championship in 2003.

"We can't afford for anybody to be in a slump at this time of year," Sottos said. "The good thing is, nobody's down. Even though I had a rough game, my teammates were there to pick it up and we still won by 20-something. That's what we're doing now, playing as a team and that's going to be the key to this whole thing."

A victory today would give Hawai'i 17 for the season. In past years, 17 wins was enough for the 'Bows to earn a bid to the NIT.

"I don't want to comment on that," Wallace said. "I don't have any idea what it's going to take. We just have to keep winning."

The players also did not want to talk about any tournaments other than the WAC Tournament.

"Of course you want to play in the postseason, but our goal is the WAC championship and that's the only thing in front of us right now," Blackett said.

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

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