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HONOLULU-The University of Hawai`i women's basketball team overwhelmed UNC Greensboro, 74-54 on Friday night in the Stan Sheriff Center. Shawna-Lei Kuehu led Hawai`i with 17 points and nine rebounds while Sarah Toeaina, Morgan Mason, and Ashleigh Karaitiana all added 11 points apiece in the win. The Rainbow Wahine led from wire-to-wire to improve to 8-5 on the season in their final non-conference tilt of the season. UNCG fell to 5-10 overall.

Hawai`i led from the get-go, but the physical UNCG team kept things close early on. Hawai`i however finished the first half on a 14-to-2 run over the last 4:58. UNCG on the flipside, made a basket at the end of the half to snap an 0-for-9 shooting skid over the last five minutes. The 'Bows went into the half with a 74-54 lead over the Spartans. Kuehu led UH with 11 points and seven rebounds going to the break.

In the second half, Hawai`i maintained their lead, going up by as much as 29 points on a 14-to-5 run that ended with 9:00 left in the game. The Spartans chipped away and got as close as 18 points twice-the last coming with 3:26 left-but that would be as close as they would get to Hawai`i.

The Rainbow Wahine out-rebounded UNCG, 51-to-40 and dominated in the paint, outscoring the Spartans 40-to-22. Hawai`i's bench also outscored UNCG, 27-to-15.

Kuehu shot 7-of-13 from the floor and for the second consecutive game, finished one rebound shy of a double-double. She had a team-high four steals with an assist and two blocked shots. It was the fifth time in the last seven games that she has recorded double-digits in points.

In her second-straight start, Toeaina scored a career-high 11 points with three rebounds and a steal. She played a career-high 32 minutes in the game. It's the third time and second straight game that she's notched at least 10 points.

Mason returned to the starting line-up after missing the last game against HPU on Wednesday. She was 2-for-3 from the field and 7-of-10 from the free throw line. She chipped in with five boards and had a game-high four assists.

Karaitiana came off the bench for the first time this season, but got back on the double-digit train, scoring 11 points. She went 2-of-8 in field goals, but a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.

Dalayna Sampton made her first career-start for Hawai`i, playing 15 minutes with four points, five rebounds and a steal.

Freshman Megan Huff came into the game and scored her first points as a Rainbow Wahine basketball player. She finished with three points, four rebounds and a blocked shot.

UNC Greensboro had three players in double-figures, led by Lucy Mason who had 17 points and six rebounds. Jessica Collins added 12 points and Jarae Savage came off the bench for 10 points.

Hawai`i will now begin Big West Conference play on the road. The Rainbow Wahine open on Jan. 8 at Cal Poly (4-7, 0-0 BWC) at 7:00 p.m. and continue on to battle CSUN (9-4, 0-0 BWC) on Jan. 10 at 4:00 p.m. CSUN was picked to finish first in the league, Hawai`i was voted second and Cal Poly came in third in the Big West Preseason Media Poll.