Friday, November 20, 1998
Rainbows roll
into title game
They meet Oklahoma State
By Paul Arnett
in tonight's tournament
championship game
Star-BulletinThe 18 offensive rebounds by Nicholls State and the 18 turnovers by Hawaii caught the eye of Rainbows head basketball coach Riley Wallace quicker than the 18-point victory for his team.
Last night's 62-44 win over the Colonels in the opening round of the VoiceStream Wireless Challenge sets up tonight's final between Hawaii and No. 13-rated Oklahoma State.
The nationally ranked Cowboys survived a 57-54 scare from Marquette in the first semifinal game at the Stan Sheriff Center, but they figure to bag the trophy if the Rainbows continue to play a sloppy brand of basketball.
"We have the potential to get back to the level we were a year ago when we beat teams like Kansas and Indiana, but we're not there yet," Wallace said last night after the Rainbows leveled their season record at 1-1.
"We turn the ball over too much, and you can't do that and beat a caliber team like Oklahoma State. Talent-wise, California might be better. But these guys play well within their system and exploit your mistakes."
Hawaii began last night's game committing four quick turnovers before many folks had found their seats. Fortunately for the Rainbows, the Colonels shot the basketball poorly.
Some may say it was Hawaii's sticky defense that led to Nicholls State hitting a meager 14 of 55 field goals. But one look at the foul line tells the story.
The Colonels made only 16 of 28 fouls shots, which is a pretty good indication these guys were having an off-night. Starters Jason McCutcheon, Linzie Green and Tracy Blake were a combined 7 of 35 from the field.
"That's one reason we were able to make some mistakes and still get the win," junior point guard Johnny White said. "But we can't do that against Oklahoma State.
"I thought we played well defensively. We came out and busted our butts for the full 40 minutes and that contributed to them shooting poorly as a team.
"We still have a lot of work to do defensively. I thought we ran the offense well, especially when they went into a zone and we opened it up from the outside. If we can adjust like that and play hard, I think we have a chance to get a lot of victories this season."Fellow guard Casey Cartwright couldn't agree more. One of three seniors in the starting lineup, Cartwright is well aware of what it takes to win.
With Anthony Carter and Alika Smith off the court, Cartwright is a better fit in this system. Last night, he and Marquette Alexander led the Rainbows in scoring with 14 points apiece.
Cartwright connected on 4 of 5 shots from the field and 6 of 7 at the foul line. He also added five rebounds, two assists and two steals to complete one of his better performances in a Rainbows uniform.
"Casey likes being one of the go-to guys," Wallace said. "He didn't get that chance last year with A.C. and Alika as starters. He's a leader out there, who has some versatility on the floor."
Alexander displayed his own brand of versatility around the basket. The wide body crashes through the lane one minute, and displays a soft touch the next.
As the sixth man, the junior college transfer finished with 14 points and nine rebounds in only 20 minutes on the floor. White and Cartwright may be kings of the perimeter, but Alexander is the man in the paint.
"I'm used to being a starter, but I don't mind coming off the bench if it helps the team win," said Alexander, who almost packed his bags for good a couple of weeks ago. "This was a good win for us because it gives us a chance to beat a top-ranked team like Oklahoma State.
"I think once we gel, we'll stop committing a lot of turnovers, because against a good team, we'll lose. But we can beat a big-time team like Oklahoma State and maybe get the fans back in here."
The Cowboys advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year for the seventh time in eight seasons under the guidance of veteran head coach Eddie Sutton.
They finished tied for second in the Big 12 and won at least 20 games for the sixth time in Sutton's tenure. Unlike Hawaii, Oklahoma State blasted the California All-Stars.
Led by guards Adrian Peterson and Joe Adkins, the Cowboys could wind up being the best team the Rainbows face this season.
"Eddie is one of the finest coaches in our business," Wallace said. "He has been a winner wherever he goes. This will be a big test for our ballclub. If we play smart and we play hard, then I believe we'll have a chance to pull one off."
Oklahoma State 57, Marquette 54: Oklahoma State raised its record to 2-0 by holding off a hard charge by Marquette (2-1).
The Cowboys won despite missing several layups and free throws, and committing a couple of turnovers in the final four minutes.
"It was a slugfest defensively on both ends," Sutton said. "It shouldn't be for us because we're a veteran club."
A basket by Peterson with 2:28 left put Oklahoma State up for good. He finished with 23 points, including five 3-pointers.
Marquette still had a couple of opportunities to pull it out, but Mike Bargen, who finished with 18 points, missed a free throw that would have tied the game with 25 seconds left. Teammate Jarrod Lovette grabbed the rebound and was fouled, but missed the front end of a 1-and-1.
"This was a game we could have won," Marquette coach Mike Deane said. "We just couldn't take care of the basketball down the stretch."
Box Score
At Stan Sheriff Center
Colonels (1-2 overall)
mp fgm fga ftm fta reb pf tp J. McCutcheon 36 2 14 5 7 6 1 9 Green 31 4 10 3 5 2 0 11 Blake 25 1 11 2 4 0 2 4 Banks 29 1 4 2 4 5 1 4 Wright 23 2 5 2 5 7 4 6 T. McCutcheon 6 1 2 1 2 2 1 3 Howard 18 1 4 1 1 0 2 3 Worrell 17 0 2 0 0 3 1 0 Jessie 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 Jones 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 Marie 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Williams 7 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 Team 3 Totals 200 14 55 16 28 30 13 44Rainbows (1-1 overall)
mp fgm fga ftm fta reb pf tp Galloway 25 3 3 0 0 6 3 6 M. Robinson 28 5 8 0 0 6 1 10 White 33 2 5 0 0 1 3 4 Cartwright 30 4 5 6 7 5 4 14 G. Robinson 24 4 7 1 2 3 0 10 McIntyre 8 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 Lee 7 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 Czernin 13 1 2 1 2 2 1 3 Gillman 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 Alexander 20 6 9 2 2 9 4 14 Moeller 8 0 0 1 2 1 1 1 Team 0 Totals 200 25 44 11 15 35 19 62Halftime score--Hawaii 36, Nicholls State 27.3-point goals--Nicholls State 0-4 (Howard 0-2, J. McCutcheon 0-1, Green 0-1), UH 1-5 (G. Robinson 1-2, White 0-2, McIntyre 0-1).
Assists--Nicholls State 6 (Banks 3), UH 14 (White 5). Turnovers--Nicholls State 11 (Blake 3), UH 18 (M. Robinson 4). Steals--Nicholls State 9 (Banks 4), UH 7 (M. Robinson 2). Blocked shots--Nicholls State 2 (J. McCutcheon 1, Banks 1), UH 1 (Galloway 1).
Technicals--None.
A--7,816. Officials: McKendry, Sanchez, Yamasaki.
Golden Eagles (2-1 overall)
mp fgm fga ftm fta reb pf tp Cliff 25 1 6 2 2 3 0 5 Bargen 36 5 8 5 7 5 3 18 Miller 31 0 3 1 2 4 4 1 Polonowski 23 4 8 0 0 7 3 8 Lovette 34 2 12 0 1 9 2 5 Henry 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wardle 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Diggs 21 5 9 1 1 2 1 11 Mueller 9 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 Nnamaka 7 0 0 2 4 0 2 2 Clausen 13 2 2 0 1 4 2 4 Team 5 Totals 200 19 50 11 18 40 18 54Cowboys (2-0 overall)
mp fgm fga ftm fta reb pf tp Peterson 37 8 13 2 5 2 2 23 Mason 33 2 10 4 4 7 2 8 Adkins 33 3 10 0 0 3 2 6 Gottlieb 32 4 10 0 4 3 1 11 Webber 19 0 1 0 0 5 5 0 Jonzen 6 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Montonati 25 3 8 3 3 1 2 9 Gilmore 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Robisch 12 0 3 0 0 1 2 0 Team 3 Totals 200 20 55 9 16 30 17 57Halftime score--Oklahoma State 57, Marquette 54.3-point goals--Marquette 5-15 (Bargen 3-5, Cliff 1-3, Lovette 1-3), Oklahoma State 8-19 (Peterson 5-7, Gottlieb 3-6, Adkins 0-2, Mason 0-4).
Assists--Marquette 10 (Bargen 3), Oklahoma State 13 (Gottlieb 8). Turnovers--Marquette 18 (Bargen 3, Miller 3, Polonowski 3), Oklahoma State 11 (Adkins 5). Steals--Marquette 3 (Bargen 2), Oklahoma State 8 (Peterson 2, Mason 2, Montonati 2). Blocked shots--Marquette 5 (Polonowski 2), Oklahoma State 1 (Webber 1).
Technicals--Bargen.
Officials: Shortnacy, Peterson, Tanibe.
VoiceStream
Wireless Challenge
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
