Electricians HI rolls to another title

Artie Wilson is on top of the summer league. Again.

Wilson’s top-seeded Electricians Hawaii squad rolled past Chosen Few at Maryknoll last night, 91-70, in the Hawaii College Basketball League championship game. It was a repeat performance and the fourth time in six years (including one year under the Solar Universe banner) the Electricians won the six-team league.

The title game wasn’t close from start to finish, as Derrick Low ran the show like his old self at point guard, Aukai Wong bombed six 3s as part of his 30 points and UH junior Gibson Johnson supplied 19 points off the bench.

For Johnson, it was his fourth game in the league. In his summer debut earlier this month he ruptured an ear drum, which cost his some appearances he said he planned to make.

Johnson came off the bench and supplied 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting, including 3-for-4 from long range.

“I was able to play well tonight. Championship game’s all that matters, I guess,” Johnson said.

It was too bad he was the only ‘Bow to really show up (Mike Thomas appeared once), but that’s what sometimes happens when there’s injury scares.

“It’s all about the competition for me,” Johnson said. I loved coming out here and playing. Obviously there’s some good players from all teams, so it’s just fun to go up against guys like that.”

His play earned the respect of Wilson, the gruff summer veteran and UH alum.

“Gibson can play and he would have been starting if he’d been here all year, but I’m going with the guys who’ve been there most of the year,” Wilson said. “I like him, I’m happy I selected him. I’m hopeful that next next year he’ll be on my team again and we’ll go and try to do this a third time in a row.”

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I’d like to offer my deep condolences to the Nash family for the loss of Domelynne Nash. She was a true part of the program for many years while Bob Nash assisted and later headed up the Rainbow Warriors.

They held a moment of silence for her before the summer title game last night. That was a sign of how known and respected she was in the local hoops community.

Ferd Lewis‘ full column on her is here if you missed it.

You’d expect to see her at team practice just about every day. I sure did when I started out as the beat writer for the Star-Bulletin in the 2008-09 season.

With her kindness, she helped make me feel welcome pretty much from the get go.

When I had to try to reach Bob for a comment after his firing in 2010, she picked up the phone and told me that he wouldn’t be talking. But she did it with empathy, almost apologetically. She didn’t have to do that.

Rest in peace Mrs. Nash.