Dita Liepkalne led the way for UH off the bench, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-7 from the field. Shawna Kuehu added 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks in her first collegiate game, while Keisha Kanekoa ended up with 10 points and five assists. Breanna Arbuckle battled foul trouble to score nine points in just 17 minutes, with Katie Wilson leading the Rainbow Wahine with 11 rebounds.

 

UCR came out firing, jumping out to an 11-6 edge, on the strength of three, three-pointers, at the first media timeout. Hawai'i was able to pull it back to 17-14 after a 7-3 run.

 

The Highlanders used a 11-3 run to get out to their biggest lead of the half at 35-23. The Rainbow Wahine responded, scoring nine of the last 12 points of the half, capped by a steal and layup by Kuehu as time expired, cutting it back to 38-32 at the break.

 

Hawai'i continued its run to start the second half, scoring nine of the first 13, making it a 18-7 run in all, cutting it back to 42-41. UH stayed close before making its big move with three minutes left in the game, scoring nine straight points to take a 62-56 lead.

 

UH would only allow a couple of technical free throws down the stretch, hitting one last free throw to make the final score 63-58.

 

The Rainbow Wahine continue their southern California road trip with games at UCLA and Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday, Nov. 19, and Saturday, Nov. 21, respectively. Both games will start at 7 p.m. Pacific (5 p.m. in Hawai'i).

 

-UH-