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HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team captured its fourth straight win with an 85-59 victory over UC Irvine. Hawai'i had five players score in double-figures, led by
Shawna-Lei Kuehu's 18 at the Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday night. Hawai'i improved to 10-7 overall and remains alone in second place in the Big West with a 4-1 record. UC Irvine dropped to 9-10 overall and 2-3 in conference action.
It was a benchmark win for the Rainbow Wahine...
-The four straight wins is the longest win streak since the Rainbow Wahine won eight in a row in the 2006-07 season
-85 points marks the most points the Rainbow Wahine have scored since UH defeated Oregon last year, 85-73 on Nov. 23, 2012.
-The 26-point win margin was the most since UH defeated North Carolina Central, 82-47 on Nov. 26, 2010.
-It is the first time five UH players scored in double-digits since UH defeated Denver 78-64 on Nov. 19, 2011 when
Kamilah Jackson,
Kalei Adolpho,
Vicky Tagalicod, Alissa Campanero, and
Kanisha Bello all scored at least 10 points each.
-The 4-1 start in conference is the best since the 1999-2000 squad began 9-1 under then head coach Vince Goo.
Kuehu led the way for the 'Bows, shooting 7-of-15 from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers. She added six rebounds, two assists and a block. It was just the second time in her career that she's hit two treys in a game. Kuehu now has a team-high 18 blocked shots this season. Kuehu scored in double-figures for the fourth straight game and seventh time this season.
Joining Kuehu in the double-digit club tonight were Jackson,
Destiny King, and
Ashleigh Karaitiana who all had 12 points apiece while
Pua Kailiawa followed her standout game against UC Davis with a season-high 11 points tonight vs. UC Irvine. Jackson was an efficient 6-of-8 in field goals with seven rebounds and was one assist shy of tying her season-high of five. Jackson has now scored in double digits in all but two games this season.
King was one point short of tying her career-high of 13 points which she set earlier this season against Washington State. She was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor and King tied her season-high with five assists—all of which came in the first half. She pulled down a team-high eight rebounds in 28 minutes of action.
Karaitiana came off the bench to score her 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting with a trey and a free throw made. She chipped in five rebounds with two assists and a block.
Kailiawa was 5-of-11 in field goals with a career-high seven rebounds. She also chipped in with a blocked shot and a steal.
UC Irvine actually started scoring the first four points of the game, but UH roared back on an 8-to-0 run to take the lead. The 'Bows never looked back. Hawai'i scored the most points of the season, while their defense once again clamped down on the usually high-scoring Anteaters, holding UCI 13 points below their season average. UCI who averages a little over six made treys a game, was held to just two while on the glass, the Anteaters were 10 rebounds short of their season average of 42.
Midway through the first half, UC Irvine started to chipped away at UH's 11-point lead to trail by just one point with 7:39 left as they went on a 14-to4 run. But the 'Bows responded by closing out the half on a 21-to-4 run of their own to lead by 19, 48-29 at the half.
Hawai'i came out of the break with the foot firmly on the gas pedal scoring back-to-back buckets by King and Kuehu. The Anteaters traded baskets with the Rainbow Wahine, but never cut their deficit to less that 15 points. UH on the other hand built their biggest lead of the season of 25 points fueled by an 11-to-1 run highlighted by Kuehu's second trey of the game.
UC Irvine's Camille Buckley, who was coming off a career-high 31 points, 21 rebound performance, led the Anteaters with 19 points and eight rebounds. Jennifer Tsurumoto added 16 points—nine of which came from the free throw line.
Hawai'i dominated in the paint, outscoring UCI, 50-to-22. The 'Bows also had the advantage in points off of turnovers (16-to-10); second chance points (12-to-11) and in bench scoring (28-to-13). The Rainbow Wahine outrebounded their opponents for the sixth straight game, 45-to-32. Hawai'i shot a season-high 52.2% in field goals while making a season-high 36 field goals.
The Rainbow Wahine now face the toughest part of their schedule, as they head off on a four-game, 11-day roadtrip, starting with Long Beach State on Thursday, Jan. 30 and Cal State Northridge on Feb. 1.
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