Campanero is learning by the minute

Uncertainty can be quite a motivator.

As she anticipated her ascent from high school basketball to the college level last summer, Alissa Campanero wasn’t exactly sure what awaited her in Hawaii.

"So I just worked my butt off," she said.

That bit of foresight in her conditioning regimen has proven vital in her freshman season with the Rainbow Wahine.

As the lone true point guard on the active roster, rest breaks haven’t come often in Campanero’s 16 games at UH. She spends an average of 36.1 minutes on the court, tying her for the Western Athletic Conference lead in that category, while adjusting to Division I competition on the fly.

"This a great opportunity for me and just really trying to speed up the learning curve," Campanero said.

"I have to go up for film all the time, just put in extra work, and try not to make silly mistakes like a freshman would. Try to play above my years."

Her on-the-job education continues tonight when the Wahine host Louisiana Tech at the Stan Sheriff Center to open a two-game WAC homestand.

At 5-foot-3, Campanero is the shortest player on the UH roster, yet shoulders some of the team’s biggest responsibilities. Coming out of The Bishop’s School in San Diego, Calif., she handed the bulk of the ball-handling duties while often drawing tough defensive assignments tracking opposing point guards.

"That’s lofty expectations we’re asking of an 18-year old," UH head coach Dana Takahara-Dias said, "but she’s proving she’s capable."

Campanero’s transition included matchups with three nationally ranked teams and has come with the inherent peaks and valleys in posting team highs with 44 assists and 58 turnovers while averaging 7.1 points per game.

She has also been the team’s most daring 3-point shooter, both in terms of frequency and distance. She leads the Wahine with 25 3-pointers in 86 attempts, and has been known to pull up from beyond NBA range on occasion.

"The coaches do give me somewhat of a green light," Campanero said. "Of course they don’t want me shooting it from that far away, but if I’m comfortable with it, they’re comfortable with it, which is good to work with."

Vicky Tagalicod’s versatility has helped ease Campanero’s work load a bit lately. Tagalicod has started on the wing since becoming eligible in December, but played point guard at Hilo High School and can initiate the offense when needed.

"We’re trying to get (Campanero) some rest, but down at the end, she knows a reprieve might not come," Takahara-Dias said.