Monday, March 17, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Given the obstacles his team has had to overcome this season with key injuries and suspensions, Hawaii coach Riley Wallace can probably understand why his team is playing at UNLV tonight in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament instead of in Honolulu.
Playing at home would constitute a break for the Rainbows. And the breaks have been few and far between for this team, which brings a 21-7 record into tonight's 7:30 game at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Despite a sellout crowd for its first-round win over Oregon and the fact Hawaii has beaten UNLV twice this season, the NIT decided to send the Rainbows to Las Vegas. The decision did not sit well with Wallace.
"It's not fair, but we can't do anything about it," he said Sunday prior to his team's workout in the North Gym. Compounding the problems was the fact Hawaii couldn't work out in the Mack because the ice was being reworked for the Disney ice show that takes over the building beginning Wednesday.
But in light of the other hurdles Hawaii has had to clear, a third trip to Las Vegas isn't a big one. The big one was trying to win the past five weeks without 7-foot-2 center Seth Sundberg, who ruptured his spleen Feb. 8 against Air Force and has been sidelined since.
"He was a big loss," Wallace said. "He was just starting to hit his stride when we lost him."
In Sundberg's absence, the Rainbows have had to change defensively to combat teams that have bigger front lines. Hawaii has played a couple of different zones, including a 1-2-2 and a matchup, and it has helped. The Rainbows are 5-3 since Sundberg went down and the zone enabled them to keep their season alive against Oregon.
The Ducks had a 10-point lead at halftime. But Wallace went to a zone, Oregon missed its first 14 shots in the second half and the Rainbows came back to win, 71-61.
"We've mixed it up out of necessity," Wallace said. "We've had good guard play. They've gotten into the gaps and we've been real active when we've played the zone."
Expect Hawaii to do the same tonight, especially when 6-11 center Keon Clark is on the floor. In the previous two meetings, Sundberg more than held his own against Clark as he played him straight up. But without him, it will be interesting to see what Clark can do.
"We know Clark's going to get his," Wallace said. "We're just going to have to make him work for whatever he gets."
The other keys for Hawaii tonight are getting strong games from guards Anthony Carter and Alika Smith and not letting the Rebels win the battle on the boards. In each of the first two games, the home team came out ahead, 44-40. But without Sundberg, who was averaging almost eight rebounds per game, Hawaii is at a distinct disadvantage.
"We've got to find a way to keep them off the boards," Carter said. "The key is containing Keon. We can't let him have a big game against us."
Wallace and his players know how tough it is to beat an opponent three times in a season, especially when the game is on the other team's court and there's so much riding on the outcome. But Hawaii is a loose, confident team that still has a willingness to play.
"Shoot, it was tough enough winning twice," Smith said. "Both games could've gone either way and these two teams are equally matched.
"But this is a team that still wants to play basketball and we'll give it our best shot."
Hoop du jour
* ROAD WEARY?: How would you like to have Hawaii's frequent flier miles the past four weeks? The Rainbows are on their fourth transcontinental trip in a month, having flown to Wyoming, New Mexico, Las Vegas and back to Las Vegas after beating Oregon at home last Wednesday. Unlike some of their other trips, there were no mishaps on the Rainbows' latest sojourn. You may recall the Wyoming trip began with the team bus hitting a car and skidding off the icy pavement en route to Laramie. No one was hurt but it was a scary ordeal. And if Hawaii wins tonight, the team will head directly east to either Arkansas or Pittsburgh. The miles just keep adding up. ... Hawaii is 1-1 in Las Vegas this year, having beaten UNLV 66-65 on Jan. 11 and losing to New Mexico 65-57 in the second round of the WAC Tournament March 6. ... UNLV leads the series with Hawaii 15-7 and had won three straight until the Rainbows posted back-to-back victories -- 66-65 on Jan. 11 and 66-64 Feb. 6.
* TWO-TIME CHAMP: UNLV recruit Greedy Daniels achieved his goal of winning a second state championship Saturday when his Cohen High squad from New Orleans won the Louisiana Class 4A state title by beating Ellender of Lafayette, 59-58. Daniels was held to just 10 points but had 12 assists. "They were the best team we played all year," he said. "They had a lot of good athletes." This season's Cohen team broke the school record set last season at 33-3 by going 35-2. As for which title is sweeter, Daniels said, "This one. Because it was my senior year and I was able to go out with a bang."
* SIMMONS SIDELINED: Rebel redshirt forward Kevin Simmons wasn't going to get any more court time this season, regardless of what happens tonight. So if he was going to suffer an injury, he picked a good time to do it after severely spraining his left ankle in Saturday's practice. If UNLV wins tonight, the Rebels will hit the road and Simmons wouldn't be on the trip anyway. "Better now than in November," Simmons said Sunday. Trainer Jerry Koloskie said Simmons will have his ankle X-rayed today and will probably be out of action for at least three weeks.
archive
