LONG BEACH, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine basketball team recovered from a sluggish start to beat Long Beach State, 61-54, on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. The 'Bows improved to 11-10 on the season and 7-3 in the Big West Conference, and sweep the season series over the 49ers who fall to 11-11 and 4-6 in league play.

The win was UH's third straight on the road, the team's longest such streak of the season. Shawna-Lei Kuehu led all scorers with 18 points and added 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Monica DeAngelis had 13 points, Destiny King added 12 more, and Kamilah Martin pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.

Ella Clark led Long Beach with 17 points and seven rebounds.

The two teams filled the stat sheet comparably, but it was UH's slight edge at the free throw line and Kuehu's strong performance that put the 'Bows over the top. Hawai'i had five more points at the charity stripe.

The 'Bows struggled out of the gate as the 49ers scored the game's first 12 points. UH was held scoreless for the first 9:17 of the game before finally getting on the scoreboard on a DeAngelis jumper.

Hawai'i overcame the rough start and orchestrated a 19-4 run to help take a four-point lead at halftime. The two teams battled back-and-forth in the early going of the second half. A pair of free throws by Kuehu put her team up 39-34, but Long Beach responded to tie the game at 41-41 on a Mary Ochiltree (5 pts) three-ball.

Neither team led by more than a bucket from that point on until a DeAngelis three-pointer put the 'Bows ahead for good at 54-51 with 2:44 to play. Just one possession later, King followed up her own missed shot to grab the offensive board and lay the ball in to give Hawai'i a five-point lead with 1:59 remaining.

The Rainbow Wahine complete their three-game road trip on Saturday when they take on UC Irvine. Tip-off between the 'Bows and Anteaters is set for 4:00 p.m. PT.

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