By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Alika Smith led the Rainbows in scoring last night with 23 points.
Dominating from the tip, the University of Hawaii basketball team began its season by whipping Texas-Pan American, 76-48, last night at the Special Events Arena.
The Rainbows' 7-foot-1 Seth Sundberg squared off against the Broncs' 6-7 Rene Salomao at center court. And Hawaii's Anthony "AC" Carter, by far the most gifted athlete on the court, lurked nearby.
The play didn't go exactly according to plan, but it was certainly close enough for the taller, quicker and straighter-shooting Rainbows.
"It was an offensive tip designed to go to (forward) Eric (Ambrozich) and then one of the guards breaking to the basket," Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said. "But AC's so damned quick, he just got to the ball himself after Seth tipped it."
Carter easily beat the pack to the hoop, starting a 10-0 run with his layup.
"That can really give you a lift right off and make the other team worry," Wallace said. "It shows we're attacking."
The taller and quicker Rainbows attacked not only on offense, but on defense, too, with a trapping zone press. Hawaii scored 12 points off of Texas-Pan American turnovers in the first half, after which the Rainbows led, 41-20.
"There is no offense without defense," said forward Mike Robinson, who had 12 rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 25 minutes off the bench for Hawaii. "Our defense is very tenacious and aggressive.
Carter led Hawaii with five steals. He scored 10 of his 14 in the game's first 14 minutes, all on layups. But he saved the best for later - he jammed an alley-oop from Aaron Curry right before intermission, and then, a minute into the second half, stole the ball and converted with a breakaway dunk.
"I love this. I love playing as long as we work hard and have fun, and that's what's happening," said Carter, a 6-1 junior transfer. "This was a little bit bigger test than last week (a 122-101 exhibition victory over China). Everything was a little better. Our defenses - man, zone and press - and our offense. But we have to get even better."
While Carter was as unselfish as he was spectacular, helping backcourt mate Alika Smith to a game-high 23 points.
"AC got me a lot of good looks," Smith said. "He's good at getting me the ball where I like it. It's fun. People are looking for the open man now. It makes everybody happy, including the coaches."
Smith was deadly from the perimeter, hitting uncontested 20-footers against an over-shifted Broncs' defense conscious of Carter's ability to drive to the basket.
Smith scored 13 in the first five minutes after the break, fueling a run that gave Hawaii its biggest lead, 67-26, and allowing the Rainbow bench plenty of playing time. Smith and Carter sat the last 13 minutes.
Although Texas-Pan American's Kelii Bandmann matched Smith's output in points, the Kamehameha graduate from Kauai had little help.
"Kelii played very well. I wish his teammates would have," Bronc coach Mark Adams said. "(Hawaii) got off to a great start and we didn't have the composure to come back. We got beat by a good team that plays great team basketball."
Bandmann was a walk-on redshirt two years ago with the Rainbows.
"When I was here they had great athletes," he said. "But this team plays together. And Carter is a great athlete. There's been a lot of hype about him, and now he's proving himself. He gets his teammates involved and he's a finisher."
Wallace had only one major complaint. Although 5,448 tickets were issued for the game, only 3,607 passed through the turnstiles.
"Too many people are sitting on their butts at home watching it on TV," he said. "It's exciting, and it will be even more exciting when more fans come out."
Perhaps more will show Friday night, when Hawaii hosts Detroit. Wallace expects a tougher challenge. "We've got to keep getting better, because the (opposing) teams get better as it goes along," he said.
Broncs (1-1)mp fgm fga ftm fta reb pf tp Allen 18 0 3 0 0 1 5 0 Jackson 14 1 5 0 0 1 0 2 Lagemann 27 0 6 1 4 2 1 1 Rios 33 3 7 0 0 4 3 8 Ostarcevic 23 2 5 2 2 2 4 6 Thompson 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Betts 17 1 7 0 0 1 1 2 Salamao 29 3 5 0 0 6 2 6 Bandmann 34 8 15 4 6 3 1 23 Molina 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Palmquist 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Team 1 Totals 200 18 53 7 13 22 17 48
Rainbows (1-0)mp fgm fga ftm fta reb pf tp Curry 19 2 5 1 2 3 1 5 Robinson 25 3 7 2 3 12 2 8 Gallon 24 2 5 0 0 1 1 5 Kroeger 18 3 4 1 2 3 3 9 Smith 24 9 12 2 4 0 0 23 Meyers 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Carter 24 7 9 0 0 2 1 14 Miller 7 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 Anderson 5 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 Furlong 14 2 6 4 4 5 1 8 Ambrozich 19 0 2 0 0 3 1 0 Yadao 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sundberg 19 1 1 2 2 6 2 4 Team 4 Totals 200 29 54 12 18 40 15 76Halftime score-Hawaii 41, Texas-Pan American 20.
3-point goals-UTPA 5-22 (Bandmann 3-8, Rios 2-6, Allen 0-1, Jackson 0-1, Lagemann 0-2 Betts 0-4), UH 6-9 (Smith 3-5, Kroeger 2-2, Gallon 1-2).
Assists-UTPA 7 (Rios 3), UH 19 (Carter 5). Turnovers-UTPA 22 (Rios 7), UH 22 (Miller 5). Steals-UTPA 9 (Rios 3), UH 12 (Carter 5). Blocked shots-UTPA 0, UH 6 (Sundberg 2, Robinson 2).
Technicals-none.
A-3,607 (turnstile). Officials: Danner, Dixon, Peterson.