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VIDEO: Game Recap (courtesty of Ka Leo)
HONOLULU—The University of Hawai`i women's basketball team defended their home court knocking off Pacific in a thrilling overtime win, 74-71 to claim a share of first place in the Big West.
Ashleigh Karaitiana drained a 3-pointer in the deep-corner with 14-seconds left for the win.
Shawna-Lei Kuehu scored a team-high 17 points—including six of UH's nine points in overtime to lead the Rainbow Wahine. Kamilah Martin added 16 points and
Monica DeAngelis scored 10 at the Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday night with 1,959 tickets issued.
Kuehu was one point shy of tying her career high in points. She was an efficient 5-of-6 from the floor and 7-of-10 from the free throw line. Kuehu also added eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals off the bench. In overtime, Kuehu was clutch as Pacific did not have an answer for her on offense or defense as she banked in a pair of layups and was fouled on another attempt and sank the ensuing two free throws. She also wreaked havoc on defense forcing one steal with a blocked shot in the extra period.
Martin recorded her 10th double-double of the season, grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds to go with her 16 points. She was also 8-of-11 from the free throw line with two blocked shots and a steal while logging a game-high 41 minutes.
DeAngelis was 4-of-9 in field goals with two 3-pointers made. She chipped in with four rebounds and dished out a game- and season-high six assists—including the one to Karaitiana for the game-winning shot. She also drained a trey with 1:08 left in regulation to give UH a 64-61 lead before Pacific was able to tie the game late to force overtime.
As a team, Hawai`i (13-11, 9-4 Big West) held the Tigers—who were averaging 41 rebounds a game—to just 29, tying their season low, which came against UH in their first meeting earlier this season in Stockton. Hawai`i outscored Pacific in second-chance points 12-to-6 and in points off the bench, 28-to-24. But the Tigers edged out UH in the paint 36-to-32 and in points off of turnovers, 16-to-14. Hawai`i, who committed a season-high 27 turnovers (21 in the first half alone) in their first meeting at Pacific, took care of the ball with just 11 miscues tonight.
Pacific (19-6, 9-4 Big West) scored the first eight points of the game, but Hawai`i did not panic and continued to battle hard, chipping away at the Tigers' lead. The 'Bows ended the half on a 19-8 run and finally caught Pacific when
Sydney Haydel sank both free throws to tie the game at 27-27. UH then took the lead when Kuehu drained a jumper in the key to go up, 29-27. UH struggled to make their free throws down the stretch, but still went into the half with a 30-29 lead. Martin led UH with seven points and six boards. The 'Bows did not allow Pacific to any offensive rebounds in the first half, and held them for the game to 29 total rebounds--12 below their season average.
In the second half, Hawai`i held the lead until there was two-minutes left in the game when Gena Johnson drove the lane and sank a jumper in the lane to go up 61-59. UH came back down the court and Martin cut to the basket for a layup that tied the game at 61-61. UH's defense forced a Tiger turnover on their next possession and the 'Bows' DeAngelis drained a 3-pointer with 1:08 left. But Pacific's Gena Johnson answered right back, driving down the lane for an uncontested layup to cut UH's lead to 64-63. Haydel was fouled coming out of a Pacific time out and made one-of-two free throws to give the 'Bows a 65-63 lead with :31 left. But Johnson was fouled going hard to the basket and made both free throws to knot the game at 65-65 with nine seconds left. Hawai`i brought the ball up the court and called time out to draw up a play, and Martin had a clear look at the basket, but the ball banked off the glass and off the front rim to force the game into overtime.
In the extra period, with UH on defense Kuehu tipped the ball away for a steal and went coast-to-coast, making the layup to give UH a 67-65 lead. Martin then got another steal and Kuehu was fouled going to the basket. She made both of her free throws to give UH a 69-65 lead with 3:24 on the clock. Pacific's Erica McKenzie then scored on back-to-back layups to tie the game again at 69-69 with 2:09 left. Kuehu countered with another jumper in the paint to give the 'Bows a 71-69 lead with 1:49 left. But UOP's G. Johnson would drive in for another layup to tie the game at 71-71 with 1:30 left on the clock. After a missed UH shot, Pacific came down the court with 1:00 left, but G. Johnson's shot was blocked by Kuehu and grabbed by Martin. The 'Bows came down the court and DeAngelis found Karaitiana in the deep left corner who drained the trey to give UH the win, 74-71 with 14-seconds left on the clock. Pacific attempted one more 3-pointer that was off the mark and rebounded by Martin.
Hawai`i has won six of their last nine home games—with all three losses coming by one point to Utah, Alabama, and UC Santa Barbara. The Rainbow Wahine are now 5-1 at home in conference games. It was UH's second overtime win of the season, with the first one coming against Cincinnati on Dec. 29.
Tonight's game was UH's "Play4Kay" night in recognition of breast cancer awareness as both teams sported pink shooting shirts and pink socks. Hawai`i's Honorary Captain for the game was Hawai`i Supreme Court Justice Sabrina McKenna who played for the Rainbow Wahine from 1975-78.
UH now heads on its last regular season roadtrip of the season, playing at UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 21 and Cal Poly on Feb. 23. The Rainbow Wahine finish the season with a three-game homestand against Cal State Northridge, UC Riverside, and Cal State Fullerton.
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