Hawai'i starting center Brittany Grice apologized yesterday for her conduct that led to a one-game suspension, and said she's ready for tomorrow's Western Athletic Conference Tournament women's basketball quarterfinal in Reno, Nev.

Grice returned to practice yesterday after missing Hawai'i's 91-52 loss at Louisiana Tech Saturday — the team's worst loss in 15 years — for what UH coach Jim Bolla said was a "violation of team rules and policy."

"I wasn't conducting myself in a manner within the parameters of what's expected of me as a Wahine basketball player," said Grice, who did not elaborate on what rule she violated, but called the discipline fair. "I let my team down. But I'm very happy to have the opportunity to redeem myself. I don't expect to be in this position again."

Third-seeded Hawai'i (18-9, 9-7) will play No. 6 seed Boise State (14-14, 6-10) tomorrow at 10 a.m. Hawai'i time.

Hawai'i has gone through a roller-coaster season that has seen the suspension of five players, including four starters, to finish third in the WAC. The team was picked to finish fifth in both the coaches' and media preseason polls.

In addition, Hawai'i's 18 wins is the highest victory total since its 23-win campaign in the 2001-02 season.

"I think the team is in a very positive mood right now," said Bolla, whose players conducted a team meeting Sunday night. "We addressed the issue, and everyone is in agreement. Everyone is being supportive of Brittany.

"A sign of a good team is bouncing back from adversity," Bolla continued. "We'll see."

Hawai'i split the season series with Boise State, losing 83-75 at Boise, Idaho, on Jan. 23, and winning 72-67 in Honolulu on Feb. 11.

The Broncos have struggled down the stretch, losing six of their final eight games. However, first-year coach Gordy Presnell still led Boise State to 14 victories, the most since the Broncos joined the WAC in 2001-02.

Boise State has also won its opening game in the WAC Tournament in three consecutive years.

Freshman guard Jessica Thompson leads the Broncos in scoring at 13 points per game. Boise State leads the league in 3-point shooting, averaging 5.89 per game and shooting 34 percent from behind the arc.

Bolla said Hawai'i must improve on blocking out on rebounds, challenging shooters and outhustling the Broncos.

"This isn't an easy game," Bolla said. "Just because they're No. 6 and we're No. 3, that doesn't mean they're not going to come out and play."

Hawai'i is looking to win its first WAC Tournament game in three seasons. The Rainbow Wahine lost "play-in" games each of the past two seasons.

As of yesterday, Bolla said he has yet to settle on starters for tomorrow. He said Grice is not guaranteed to start, and she must work her way into the lineup.

"Coach Bolla does things because he cares about us," Grice said. "I think everyone is ready to make a run in the tournament."

Grice, a 6-foot-4 junior, is considered one of the team's leaders, and is a two-time, all-conference academic honoree.

Grice was named to the all-conference defensive team Monday. She was the only Hawai'i player to earn any all-WAC honor.

"Your teammates make you look good," Grice said. "Any individual award is a reflection of the team working well together.

"I do pride myself on defense," she continued. "Defense is what wins games."

Bolla said he learned Friday that Hawai'i is "under consideration" for the Women's National Invitation Tournament, which has expanded its field from 32 to 40 teams this season.

Renee Carlson, a WNIT representative, said tournament organizers have been tracking Hawai'i throughout the season, and "they're definitely being considered for the WNIT."

"The expansion to 40 teams certainly helps Hawai'i, and we'll know over the next week or so, even more what their status looks like," Carlson said last week.

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.