Box Score
HONOLULU--In a battle of two top defensive squads, Hawai`i outlasted Loyola Marymount, 56-51, in the Ala Moana Hotel Paradise Classic Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Wahine advanced to the tournament championship where they will face No. 10 Texas Tech, a 66-53 winner over Chattanooga.
UH (6-2) struggled offensively, but got a career performance from sophomore Jade Abele and put its defensive clamps down (31 percent shooting by LMU) to win its third straight game. With senior center Christen Roper out most of the game in foul trouble, Abele stepped up with 19 points. Michelle Gabriel, meanwhile, added nine points and played some tough defense. Her steal and layup at the end of halftime gave UH a double-digit lead, while the senior point guard made a similar play late in the game to help seal the win.
Both teams came in displaying impressive defensive statistics and it showed early as the teams combined to miss 17 of their first 20 shots and score just seven total points in the first nine minutes of the game. Natasja Allen scored 10 seconds into the game then UH went nearly nine minutes without a field goal. The Lions (6-2) also had their troubles, missing 11 of their first 13 shots and shooting just 17 percent (6-of-35) in the first half. Abele's 11 first-half points proved the difference at half as UH took a 26-15 lead at the break.
LMU mounted a comeback and nearly erased the 11-point halftime deficit behind the play of Adrianne Slaughter. Slaughter scored 17 of her game-high 21 points in the second half as the Lions cut the lead to just one point on two occasion but were turned back twice. Abele's 3-pointer with 2:58 left extended the UH lead to four points and the Lions never got closer. Gabriel's steal and layup with 47 seconds left gave Hawai`i a six-point cushion and the Rainbow Wahine sealed the game on the line where they scored their final five points.
The Rainbow Wahine will get their third shot at a ranked-team when they face the No. 10 Lady Raiders at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Chattanooga and Loyola Marymount will play for third place at 1 p.m.
