Game Notes

HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team (15-11, 9-5 Big West) hosts their final home game of the season vs. UC Santa Barbara (8-19, 3-11 Big West) on Thursday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. It will be Senior Night for four Rainbow Wahine: Sydney Haydel, Kamilah Jackson, Pua Kailiawa and Diane Moore.
 
Hawai'i currently is alone in third place in the Big West race, just a half-game behind Cal Poly who is at 10-5 with one game to play. UH is a game and a half behind league-leader Cal State Northridge, who has already clinched at least a share of the conference title with an 11-4 mark. CSUN also has just one game left on their schedule. UC Davis is just one game behind Hawai'i in fourth place at 8-6. UH will battle UCSB at home on Thursday before heading out to face Cal State Fullerton on Saturday to end the season.
 
Hawai'i will honor their four seniors at the conclusion of the game against the Gauchos. Kailiawa and Moore both transferred to UH last season after solid junior college careers at Umpqua and Diablo Valley respectively. Kailiawa, a local product out of Ka'u High School from Pahala on the island of Hawai'i, has started five of UH's last six games and has battled in the post this season. She is averaging 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds a game. In UH's most recent game against Long Beach State, Kailiawa recorded her first career double-double, scoring a career-high 13 points with a career-best 10 rebounds. Kailiawa will graduate this May with her bachelor's degree in sociology.
 
Moore has appeared in 23 games this season with one start at Long Beach State. Overall she is averaging 2.7 points and a rebound a game and has played in 10 minutes a game this season. The senior from Nagoya, Japan has scored in 14 games this season with a season-high seven points at Northern Arizona. She will be graduating in the Spring of 2015 with a bachelor's degree in architecture.
 
Haydel is the only Rainbow Wahine to start all 26 games this year. The senior from Woodland Hills, Calif. has appeared in 116 career games with 69 starts for UH. This season, she is averaging a career-high 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and is tied for the team-lead playing 30.6 minutes per game. Haydel, the defending Big West Defensive Player of the Year, is one of the key reasons why the 'Bows lead the conference in scoring defense, field-goal percent defense, 3-point field goal percentage defense, and rebounding defense. Haydel will graduate this May from the Schidler School of Business with her degree in finance.
 
Jackson is Hawai'i's most decorated player in recent history. The three-time all-conference selection is only the second player in UH history behind the late Judy Mosely to record over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds as a Rainbow Wahine. Jackson is currently ranked No. 4 in the Hawai'i record books with 1,538 points and No. 2 with 1,167 rebounds. She is ranked in the top 10 amongst active NCAA career-leaders in rebounds and rebounding average and is ranked in the Top 20 in free throws made and attempted. Jackson, the double-double queen, has posted 12 this season and 55 double-doubles in her four-year career. The senior from Oakland, Calif. has missed the last four games with an injury, snapping her streak of 93 straight games played and 55 straight starts. Jackson is also a three-time academic all-conference player and will graduate in four years this May with her degree in family resources.
 
UC Santa Barbara comes to Honolulu with an 8-19 overall record and a 3-11 mark in Big West action. The Gauchos have lost four of their last five games and are currently in eighth place, just one game above UC Riverside. Nicole Nesbit leads UCSB averaging 15.6 points a game and 98 assists and 36 steals. Melissa Zornig is scoring 13.9 points a game and leads the Gauchos with 48 made 3-pointers. Destini Mason is the third Gaucho scoring in double-digits with at 11.3 a game and leads with a team-high 5.6 rebounds a game.
 
Game 27 Tipoff Notes
Who: Hawai'i (15-11, 9-5 Big West) vs. UC Santa Barbara (8-19, 3-11 BWC)
When: Thursday, March 6
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Where: Stan Sheriff Center (10,200) - Honolulu, O'ahu
Television: Live on OCSports – Channels 16 (SD) and 1016 (HD). Jim Leahey (play-by-play) and Lori Santi (color) will be on the call.
Streaming Video: BigWest.tv
Radio: Live on NBC Sports Radio AM 1500 with Dave Kawada (play-by-play) and Tiff Wells (color analyst) calling the action.
Audio Webcast: Live audio streaming available at www.NBCSportsRadioHawaii.com
Live Stats: Live in-game stats will be available at www.hawaiiathletics.com
Promotions: The University of Hawaii Federal Credit Union is the game sponsor on "Senior Night" and will distribute 500 sport water bottles and 700 women's basketball team photos. Fans are encouraged to register at the sports marketing table inside Gate A for the chance to win an iPad Mini at halftime. Also, UHFCU will award plaques to the seniors during a special "Senior Night" presentation following the game. UH Alumni Association paid members and military members receive 50% off adult tickets. UH Student Promotions: 300 white rally towels will be distributed in the Manoa Maniacs sections. There will aslo be an autograph session following the game for fans.
Tickets: General admission-adult: $7; General Admission-Senior Citizen: $5; Students (ages 4-high school): $3; UH Manoa Students receive admission to regular season home games by presenting a valid UH I.D.
Head Coaches: Hawai'i head coach Laura Beeman is in her second season with the Rainbow Wahine. She has a 32-25 record at UH. At Mt. San Antonio, she recorded a 390-110 record in the junior college ranks. UC Santa Barbara's head coach Carlene Mitchell is in her third season with the Gauchos. She has a 41-52 record.
Series Information: Hawai'i leads the series with UCSB, 21-13. UH is 13-4 at home and 8-7 in Santa Barbara. Earlier this season, UH defeated UCSB as part of their brutal four-game road trip, 63-60. Last season, the two teams split the home-and-home series, with each team winning on their opponents' court.