SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.— The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team leaned on the production of sophomore forward Kasey Neubert to take game one of the series with UC Santa Barbara on Friday at the Thunderdome, 72-62.
 
Neubert notched her first career double-double with 19 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, while the Rainbow Wahine (5-5, 4-4) notched back-to-back wins on the road for the first time this season. The Gauchos (2-12, 2-8) remain winless at home on the year.
 
The 'Bows scored a season-high 24 points in the first quarter but followed it up with a season-low three points in the second frame for a 35-27 deficit at the half. A 10-0 run by the visitors made all the difference to start the third quarter, and UH pulled back into it. As the third quarter bled into the fourth, UH rode the momentum of a 14-3 run to regain a lead and build it to a double-digit advantage. UCSB scratched its way back to within five at 67-62 with 1:44 on the clock, but the 'Bows hit their free throws to make the difference in the final score.
 
On top of Neubert's stellar performance, freshman Daejah Phillips matched her point total with 19 points, along with six rebounds and three assists. Freshman Kelsie Imai notched a career-high 10 assists, adding four points and six rebounds to her stat line.
 
As a team, the 'Bows dominated the glass by a plus 17 margin, 47-30, limiting the Gauchos to only five second-chance points. For the third consecutive game, UH kept its total turnovers to 15 and under with 14 against UCSB. 
 
The 'Bows and Gauchos will conclude their season series tomorrow at 3 p.m. HT, wrapping up the first four games of a six-game road swing for UH.