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IRVINE, Calif. – In a matchup between league heavyweights No. 5 UC Irvine squeezed past No. 8 Hawai'i, 8-7, in the Big West opener for both teams Friday night at the Anteater Aquatic Center. Mary Brooks' backhanded shot near the mouth of the UH goal with 54 seconds left proved to be the game-winner as the Anteaters (14-6) won their fifth straight game.
 
Chloe Barr and Irene Gonzalez each notched a hat trick, scoring six of the UH's seven goals, but it wasn't enough as the Rainbow Wahine (8-8) dropped their fourth straight match.
 
It was the third meeting already this year between the teams who met twice in tournament action. The teams split the previous two and the third affair – with conference implications at stake – was unsurprisingly another nail biter.
 
The Anteaters got off to a strong start taking a 3-1 lead in the first quarter. UH, however, hung around on the strength of Barr and Gonzalez and trailed just a 5-4 lead at halftime.
 
The Bows got out of the gates fast in the second half with a pair of back-to-back goals and when Barr notched her third goal, UH took their first lead of the night, 6-5, midway through the third quarter.
 
It would continue to go back-and-forth until Brooks decisive goal with just under a minute left. UH had one last chance when freshman Maartje Keuning floated a shot with 37 seconds left. However it bounced off the post and the Anteaters ran out the rest of the clock.
 
Hawai'i will now have a day off before heading to Long Beach, Calif. for a match against No. 15 Long Beach State (7-6) on Sunday, March 12 at 9 a.m. HT in the Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center. The week's events will conclude with a shared alumnae event at LBSU, honoring the 20th season of Rainbow Wahine Water Polo, as well as recognizing the inaugural UH game vs. LBSU in 1998 in Honolulu.
 
Scoring by Quarters
Hawai'i            2              2               2               1                    7
UC Irvine         3              2               1               2                    8
UCI Scoring: Mary Brooks 3, McKenna Mitchell 2, Cambria Shockley, Kelsey Thornton, MacKenzie Milham
UH Scoring: Irene Gonzalez 3, Chloe Barr 3, Claire Nixon