Posted on: Friday, March 25, 2005

UH-Hilo's Esene on region's first team

Advertiser Staff and News Services

University of Hawai'i-Hilo senior Osadonor Esene has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-West Region first team.

Esene, a 6-foot-6 forward from Los Angeles, averaged 20.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in leading the Vulcans to the Pacific West Conference championship, a 25-4 overall record and a No. 8 ranking in the final NABC/NCAA Division II poll.

Brigham Young-Hawai'i senior Jake Chrisman was selected to the West Region's second team.

Chrisman, a 6-foot-8 post player from Provo, Utah, averaged 21.0 points and 5.3 rebounds to help the Seasiders to a 16-9 record. He earned all-region first-team honors last year.

UH-Hilo coach Jeff Law was earlier named the West Region's Coach of the Year.

NIT

South Carolina reaches semifinals

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Carlos Powell scored 21 points and Tre Kelley added 12 in the second half to lead South Carolina to a 69-66 victory over Georgetown in the quarterfinals of the NIT last night.

The Gamecocks (18-13) will face the winner of tomorrow's Texas Christian-Maryland game in the semifinals in New York. Saint Joseph's and Memphis will play in the other semifinal next Tuesday night.

The Hoyas (19-13) had two chances to tie the game late but Darrel Owens and Jeff Green each missed 3-pointers with less than 30 seconds remaining. Owens finished with 26 points, hitting 7 of 11 3-pointers.

ELSEWHERE

Massachusetts: Eastern Kentucky's Travis Ford has been chosen as the next basketball coach at UMass, a university source told The Associated Press yesterday. An announcement is expected today. Ford, 35, guided the Colonels to a 22-9 record this season — the most wins in school history — and an NCAA tournament bid, the school's first in 26 years.

Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne: Former Indiana basketball star and Hoosiers' assistant Dane Fife, 25, became the nation's youngest Division I coach when he was hired by IPFW yesterday. Doug Noll was fired in January after going 40-119 in five-plus seasons.

Miami: Ferne Labati was fired as women's basketball coach yesterday, three weeks after the Hurricanes completed a 16-loss campaign and missed the postseason for the first time in four years. Labati posted a 303-195 record in 17 seasons at Miami, including 12 winning seasons, six NCAA berths and three WNIT appearances.

Cincinnati: Assistant coach Keith LeGree was suspended after he was charged with driving under the influence, less than a year after coach Bob Huggins was suspended for a drunken driving conviction. LeGree will remain on suspension until the university completes an investigation, the school said yesterday.

Alabama: Junior forward Kennedy Winston, who averaged 17.9 points and 5.4 rebounds this season, will make himself eligible for the NBA draft, the school announced yesterday.

Wichita State: Coach Mark Turgeon received a three-year contract extension yesterday following the Shockers' second straight 20-win season (22-10) and third consecutive NIT appearance.