Feb. 10 and 12 saw another chapter written in one of Hawai‘i’s biggest basketball rivalries when HPU beat BYU-Hawai‘i 80-69 at the NBC and BYU came back to beat HPU 90-69 in Laie.

For HPU to have had any chance at post-season play, the Sea Warriors needed to win both games, so the pressure was on.

Thursday’s game was more about defense then offense, since BYU’s leading scorers David Evans and Thomas Joyce average at least 30 points a game.

The Sea Warriors started out in a-man-to-man defense, and Coach Sellitto kept switching defenders on Evans to find the perfect defensive match. Sellitto’s strategy, according to junior guard Michael Paul, was to hold Evans and Joyce defensively. It seemed to work.

On the offensive end, the Sea Warriors did well with scattered scoring from all the players. At half time, HPU was down by only one point, 39-38.

In the second half, the Sea Warriors’ strategy was basically the same: guard David Evans and score when they could. It worked. HPU came up with a victory and a final score of 80-69.

The younger players were ready to celebrate, according to co-captain Jemar Miller, but the veterans were remembering what BYU could be like on its own court.

HPU lost to BYU-H 69-90, their first loss to the Seasiders in nine games, and thus lost its best chance of retaining the PacWest Pacific division leadership.

The Seasiders (Pac West 8-2), who will now compete for the division leadership with Seattle Pacific (Pac West 10-1) and Central Washington (Pac West 9-2), managed to outscore HPU in the first three minutes of the game by 2-7.

HPU fought back, but the fast-paced first half ended 33-44, and the Sea Warriors were unable to make up those 11 points in the second half.

The big surprise to HPU, however, was the Seasiders’ final 21-point lead, the biggest difference between the two teams since the friendly rivalry began in 1988.

HPU’s top scorers were forward and co-captain Scott Kato with 18 points, Miller with 14, and center Ryan Adle with 12. Forward Kawika Smith hit for 11 points.

Health and inexperience have been a major concern for the HPU Sea Warriors’ basketball team this season, according to head coach Tony Sellitto.

The team’s youth and its high number of injuries has caused the Sea Warriors a lot of trouble this season, Sellitto explained. Since healthy players have had to put in more time playing tired on the court, the team’s average has suffered.

Sellitto’s win record throughout his career has been high, averaging close to 75 percent. This year HPU’s overall record is 9-11 with a conference record of 3-5 However, the young players have reshaped themselves, jelled as a team, and pulled their game together since that first game of the millennium against UH-Hilo when they played three new freshmen out of a total roster of eight players

At this writing, the Sea Warriors still had an opportunity to succeed in NCAA, with six conference games left.

Sellitto said that his first team—junior forward Kawika Smith, senior co-captain Scott Kato, senior co-captain Jemar Miller, senior Ryan Adle, and junior guard Alvin Stephenson—is among the best of the conference teams. "The problem is that we have too many injuries. This has never happened to me before during my years of coaching." So far, Joshua Newburn is home after a shoulder operation; Alvin Stephenson injured his knee, ankle, and thumb; and two of the substitutes have been hurt. Senior guard DeWayn Allen went to mainland for family reasons.

Sellito said that the unusual number of injuries forced him to play the most experienced players, such as Jemar Miller, through whole games. Miller leads HPU’s box scores.

Stephenson, 6-3, injured when he reached for a rebound, is nonetheless fourth in box scores, and he has averaged 22.6 points per game." It happen about seven games ago," Stephenson said. "I fell down and I twisted my ankle and thumb, and cut my mouth. I had 34 stitches." Stephenson has the team’s third highest scoring percentage.

Co-captain Kato, 6-7, hurt his ankle, but does not see the injury effecting his game. Last year’s top returning scorer and rebounder, Kato has the game builder’s role and he is praised by his teammates and Sellitto for his consistent results. "I try to play hard every game," Kato said. And he added, "Our team has great personalities, which helps us." He is third in box scores.

Adle, 6-10, is second in box scores after Miller. A first-season Sea Warrior, Adle agreed that injuries have affected the team’s performance. "It takes time when the new players have to get adjusted, which also means that there are a few players who will get a lot of minutes."

Bob Hogue, formerly Sports Director for KHON-TV, recently became a member of the HPU television broadcast team.

Hogue joins HPU broadcasters Kanoa Leahey and John Noland and will conduct play-by-play of televised Sea Warrior basketball games which are currently featured on Oceanic 16 and simulcast on KUMU radio.

"I’m a big supporter of basketball, so naturally I’m excited to be broadcasting for HPU. I have much respect for basketball coach Tony Sellitto and the job that he has done. I look forward to calling the games and having a lot of fun on the air," said Hogue.

A veteran sports broadcaster, Hogue graduated from the University of Southern California where he played baseball.

His television broadcast career spans 23 years, serving in various broadcast positions in Waterloo, Iowa; Sacramento, Calif,; and in Honolulu, including play-by-play for the University of Iowa and University of the Pacific.

He joined KHON-TV in 1988 as Sports Director and is credited for creating the "Athlete of the Week" highlights and the weekly program "Hawaii Sports Final" which is now in its 10th season.

With first and fourth place video wins, respectively, HPU Cheerleaders and Dance Team secured berths in their divisions for the 2000 NCA College Cheer and Dance National Championships scheduled April 6 through 9 in Daytona Beach, Fla. The event will be televised on CBS Sports and the USA Family Network.

In the cheer division, HPU earned the top seat, beating 21 qualifying teams including the University of Central Arkansas and Minnesota State University. HPU placed fourth in the 1999 NCA National Championship competition.

Also making the cut, the HPU Dance Team placed fourth in the video entry dance division. The HPU team is the first collegiate dance team from Hawai‘i to compete nationally. In 1999, it placed ninth out of 31 participating schools.

The NCAA Division II No. 5-ranked Sea Warrior men’s tennis team (2-2) pulled off one of the biggest wins in school history with a 4-3 victory over NCAA Division I No. 17-ranked Fresno State Bulldogs, Jan. 15 at the Oahu Club tennis courts in Hawaii Kai.

With the score tied at 3-3, HPU’s top singles player, Jan Tribler, defeated FSU’s Andy Scorteanu in three games, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, to give HPU a 4-3 victory.

"It was unbelievable," said HPU head coach Henry Somerville (58-14 in his fourth year at HPU).

"FSU won the WAC championship last year and returned all its starters this season. Everyone else was done playing when Jan and Andy were dueling it out with the balance of the match at stake. The crowd was going nuts. It was easily the biggest win in my coaching career."

Fresno State won the first point, which is given to the team who wins the best-of-three doubles matches, with 8-6 wins in No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. Jan Tribler teamed with Wojtek Bratek to win #2 doubles, 8-4.

HPU trailed 3-1 with No. 1, No. 2, and No. 6 singles in the balance. Kristian Nielson at No. 6 singles swept Brian Wyatt 6-0, 6-0, and three-time All-American Erik Sandblom topped David Mullings 6-3, 6-4, to set-up the finale.

"For the first time this season Erik Sandblom was on the top of his game," said Somerville. And "Kristian Nielson played the best tennis of his life."

The match was HPU’s second against an NCAA I top 20 team. Last year, HPU advanced to the quarterfinals in its first season in the NCAA division II.

"I certainly think we would be a top 20 team at the Division I level," said Somerville. "I think we can be even better, because a couple of guys haven’t found their marks yet. It’s a great start to a long season and, hopefully, everyone will peak this May at the national championships."