College basketball: New-look Vuls refine shooting touch

By MATT GERHART

Hawaii Tribune-Herald

In some respects, Alexa Jacobs describes UH-Hilo’s women’s basketball practices as a “free-for-all,” but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Coach David Kaneshiro has openings at all five starting spots and beyond, giving a rebooted roster extra incentive to hustle.

“We’ve had girls show up with more effort and come strong,” Jacobs said.

Entering his sixth season and two years removed from the Vulcans’ last trip to the Pacific West Conference tournament, Kaneshiro is hitting the reset button much as he did two years ago when Jacobs was a freshman on an incoming recruiting class that included a slew of junior transfers.

“I think that one of the things we learned was that it takes time,” Kaneshiro said.

Now the savvy veteran of the team, Jacobs is UH-Hilo’s only returning player with appreciable playing experience in a Vulcans uniform, but she said she’s still two weeks away from playing as she rehabs from an ACL injury.

So when UH-Hilo tips off at 6 p.m. Thursday against Division II No. 7 Alaska-Anchorage at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium, fans will have to get used to more than just the NCAA’s change to quarters instead of halves in the women’s game.

“We’re not as big as we were last year,” said Jacobs, who averaged 6.3 points per game last season. “Some of our bigs don’t play as down-low players.

“It’s definitely a style change. I feel like we’re going to be smaller and more of a shooting team, more so than a dominant down-low team.”

Kaneshiro tabbed Lauren Hong and Sydney Mercer, each a junior transfer, as the team’s best shooters in preseason practices.

Hong is a 5-foot-4 shooting guard who can spell junior transfer Vanessa Mancera or Jacobs at point guard. Hong led the Vulcans with 11 points in their only exhibition game, an 86-39 loss to Hawaii in late October.

Mercer, a 5-10 forward, will see time inside along with true freshman Patience Taylor, 6-0, and Pilialoha Kailiawa, a Ka’u graduate who is also listed as 6-0.

Kaneshiro foresees lineups this season that feature four perimeter players, though much of this season is dealing with the unexpected.

“I would expect us to come out and play very hard and compete,” Kaneshiro said. “It’s our first game and we’re at home and we’re excited.

“As far as execution, we don’t really know what we’ll see.”

The first step, Jacobs said, is coming together as a unit, much like last year’s team did. The veteran Vuls had their moments but were inconsistent, finishing 10-14 and 9-11 in the Pacific Western Conference, the program’s second consecutive losing season.

In the 14-team preseason league preseason poll, UH-Hilo was tabbed to finish 10th.

“You have to have a relationship with each other before you can bring it to the court,” Jacobs said. “Chemistry is what makes a team really strong. We had that last year, so I’m hoping that translates to this season.”

Kaneshiro will have some sense of familiarity Thursday when he inserts senior Felicia Kolb into the lineup. Kolb played in seven games last season and her coach calls her the team’s most improved player.

Kailiawa, meanwhile, found her way back to the Big Island after spending time at Umpqua College in Oregon.

“She will play Thursday,” Kaneshiro said. “She’s working hard. She has a good skill level (for her size). Nice shooting touch. Like everyone else, she has things to work on.”

In a change from past recruiting classes, Kaneshiro brought in three freshmen, and he’s happy with the progress of each. Taylor and guard Kim Schmelz each likely will see immediate playing time, and guard Renatta Olson has showed flashes, the coach said.

Despite an entirely new cast, Jacobs isn’t ready to lessen expectations.

“Once we come together as one and get on the same page, I think we’ll turn some heads this year,” she said. “We’ll be a big name.”