IRVINE, CALIF.— In what can be considered one of the more notable Big West Conference games in early 2022, the University of Hawai'i women's basketball team knocked off UC Irvine 77-73 Saturday afternoon at the Bren Events Center.
 
The Rainbow Wahine (5-7, 2-1) picked up their first road win while notching their first win at UCI since 2017. The Anteaters (8-6, 3-1) dropped their first conference game of the season and is only their third loss this season at home.
 
UH battled with UCI through the first 20 minutes but controlled the pace, leading by as much as 16 in the second quarter. With the 'Bows leading 39-23, UCI shrunk the lead with an 11-0 run to end the frame with a 39-34 deficit.
 
The third quarter leaned towards the Anteaters, cutting the lead to just one at 52-51 for the visiting squad. UCI did take a short-lived lead in the final frame at 57-56 with 6:52 on the clock, but UH answered with a 9-0 run, including two pivotal three-pointers in the stretch by freshman forward Meilani McBee. UCI pulled within one but never retook the lead as UH kept them at arm's length for the victory.
 
Graduate forward Amy Atwell continues to be the hottest hand in the Big West, finishing with 20 points in 32 minutes of action. Atwell still leads the conference in scoring with 19 points per game and has notched double-digit points in 10 consecutive games. Over the same stretch of 10 games, she has scored 20 points or more in six of those, including four of her last five. Atwell currently sits at 962 career points, 38 away from becoming the 23rd member of the 1,000 point club for the Rainbow Wahine.
 
In the fourth quarter, McBee's production came when the 'Bows needed it, as she spent her time producing from long range. The Kennewick, Washington native finished with 15 points, hitting 5-of-8 from three-point territory. As a team, UH shot 50% from beyond the arc at 8-of-16, giving them their best night of shooting from three-point land on the season.
 
Freshman forward Daejah Phillips had a night of highs and lows, producing 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Phillips shot 4-of-5 from the field, 5-of-6 from the charity stripe and made her first three-pointer of the season. She did add to the team's 21 turnovers on the night by committing six in 27 minutes of play.
 
As announced on Friday afternoon, the 'Bows' next contest scheduled for Thursday against Cal Poly was canceled. UH is now set to play CSU Bakersfield inside SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday for their next matchup. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. HT.