SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--Day one of the Gaucho Invitational, Saturday, at UC Santa Barbara's Campus Pool, started well but ended disappointingly for the No. 10 University of Hawai`i water polo team. A mid-morning victory for the Rainbow Wahine over the host Gauchos, 5-4, gave way to an afternoon 10-5 loss to No. 2 UCLA. The split kept the Rainbow Wahine at .500 on the season, with a 6-6 mark overall.

UH's morning match was anything but easy against the 16th ranked Gauchos, who used a three-goal third quarter to turn a 2-1 halftime deficit into a 4-2 lead heading into the final period. Ending a two-quarter scoreless drought on a Colleen Schiman goal, the Rainbow Wahine rallied, led by Darcy Scott-Hosaka's three steals and Kristy Bagnall's two ejection draws. With 44 seconds to play, Scott-Hosaka scored off a Bagnall cross-pool pass to give UH the 5-4 victory and complete the furious comeback.

Hawai`i was rewarded for its win with a match-up against No. 2 UCLA. Undaunted by two previous losses this season to the Bruins, UH kept in striking distance but faltered late in suffering a 10-5 defeat. UH trailed by one, 5-4, going into halftime, as goalie Amber Lumb held the Bruins in check, on her way to an 11-save performance. Exhaustion eventually got the best of the Rainbow Wahine, as an inability to convert scoring chances and deny UCLA's counter-attack led to three Bruin goals in the fourth, and the final five-goal margin.

Beth Novick led UH on the day with four goals, while Bagnall chipped in three. Scott-Hosaka ended the day with a balanced three-goal, five-steal performance in the Rainbow Wahine's two matches.

Hawai`i's second place showing in group B sets up a Sunday match against No. 6 California. The match, slated for a 9:10 a.m. PST start, will be the third meeting between UH and California this season. Day two will conclude with an afternoon match to determine the Rainbow Wahine's final placing in the tournament.

Game One
Team-1-2-3-4=F
Hawai`i-2-0-0-3=5
UCSB-0-1-3-0=4
Hawai`i Scoring: Beth Novick--2, Kristy Bagnall, Colleen Schiman, Darcy Scott-Hosaka
UCSB Scoring:N/A
Goalie Saves: N/A--UCSB, Leanna Hahn--Hawai`i (11)

Game Two
Team-1-2-3-4=F
Hawai`i-3-4-5-0=5
UCLA-4-5-7-3=10
Hawai`i Scoring: Kristy Bagnall--2, Beth Novick--2, Darcy Scott-Hosaka
UCLA Scoring:N/A
Goalie Saves: N/A--UCLA, Amber Lumb--Hawai`i (11)

-uh-