HONOLULU – A fired-up University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine basketball team made an emphatic return home with an impressive 70-60 win against Big West front-runner UC Davis Friday night at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Wahine improved to 8-6 overall and 7-5 in the Big West with their third straight win and fifth in its last six outings.  
 
In its first home game in more than 40 days, UH jumped out of the gates from the get-go and never trailed in the game, while handing the Aggies (9-2, 8-1 Big West) their first conference loss of the year. It marks the second time in the last three seasons that UH has given UC Davis their only conference blemish.
 
Amy Atwell scored a team-high 16 points, while freshman guard Kelsie Imai tallied her first career double-double (10 points and 12 rebounds), while adding four assists and three steals. Senior Jadynn Alexander fueled UH's fast start with all but two of her 12 points coming in the first half.  
 
UH got kickstarted by a barrage of three-pointers, built a double-digit lead in both halves, then held off a late push by UC Davis to earn its signature win of the season.  UH led 19-12 after the first quarter with 15 of those points coming on three-pointers. UH continued to put pressure on the Aggie defense in the second quarter and built its lead to as many as 16 points before taking a 34-25 lead at the break.
 
The Aggies made a couple of pushes at the Rainbow Wahine, but UH turned each comeback attempt. UCD ended the third quarter on a 7-0 run to make it a 49-47 game entering the final period and it was a 51-49 game with nine minutes remaining.
 
But that would be as close as it would get. In the end, UH put up 70 points against a stout Aggie defense that entered the game allowing just 54.5 points per game in conference play. UH drilled nine three-pointers in all and beat the Aggies on the glass, 43-34.
 
The teams will face off again Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams and the final home appearance for seniors Jadynn Alexander and Barbara Rangel. Tipoff is 6:00 p.m. at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.