Being Pam Tambini's roommate on University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine basketball road trips often meant waking up to an eerie sight.

In an otherwise darkened hotel room, Tambini could be found huddled under the muted glow of a desk lamp covered by a T-shirt or bed sheet, books in hand, studying.

What a succession of roommates once head-shakingly viewed as madness turns out to have its rewards.

Among them will be Tambini's place at the table for this morning's annual Scholar-Athlete Breakfast at the Stan Sheriff Center, honoring 135 athletes who have achieved grade point averages of 3.0 or better. Tambini carries a 4.0 grade point average from the fall semester, a 3.7 cumulative GPA for her four years at UH and hopes of earning admission to the John A. Burns School of Medicine next year.

Yet for her equally impressive GPA and the 12.4 scoring average, both of which led the Rainbow Wahine this season, balancing the scholar and the athlete portions has hardly been as smooth as Tambini often makes it seem.

"Because we travel on red-eye flights a lot and only get a couple hours sleep, when we get to our hotels we usually sleep a lot," Tambini said. "If we had a wake-up call for 10 or 11 a.m, I'd usually get up at 7:30 or 8 a.m. to study," shrouding herself so not to wake her roommate.

"There were times when I really wanted to sleep; times when I'd catch myself falling asleep at a desk but I knew what I wanted," Tambini said. "It was like, sleep a little or sacrifice your future later? I feel like I'd always have time to sleep later."

Even in summer sleep has been only slightly more easy to come by since she takes classes and, in what passes for spare time, keeps up her black belt in taekwondo.

Her mentor, team physician Robert Kagawa, marvels at what she has accomplished, juggling a heavy regimen of pre-med science classes and excelling in her sport. Tambini's arduous schedule and the resolute self-discipline it has taken to stick with it have earned the respect of teammates. More than one telling her, "I wish I could get up like you to study — but I can't."

Some call her "Mom" for her early-morning habit of putting on a pot of coffee. And others have come to call her "Doc" for her goal of becoming a pediatrician, something she's had in her sights since the recruiting trip to UH from San Jose, Calif.

When a teammate has a pain, someone will invariably suggest they ask, "Dr. Pam" about it. But Tambini fires back: "Don't jinx me, I have to get into medical school first."

Few who have witnessed her remarkable drive — on and off the court — doubt she'll make it.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.