PORTLAND, Ore.— The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team dropped its final game of the opening road trip in the state of Oregon with a final score of 70-54 at Chiles Arena against the University of Portland on Wednesday.
 
The Rainbow Wahine (0-2) have started the season with back-to-back road losses for the second consecutive season. The beginning of the 2021-22 campaign kicked off with three straight losses, including a loss to Portland at home on Nov. 19. The Pilots (2-0) will stay home for their third consecutive home game to start the season as they host #2 Stanford on Sunday. An opponent UH will see in the coming weeks as a part of the Rainbow Wahine Showdown on Nov. 27.
 
The 'Bows battled a full-court press and struggled from the field in the early going, and it continued throughout the night. UH shot 20% from the floor in the first quarter, but they kept the score close at 15-9, as the Pilots shot 62.5% in comparison. Portland built on its lead but not by much in the second quarter, as sophomore forward Daejah Phillips scored 10 points in the first half, contributing to UH staying close and trailing 32-24.
 
Phillps continued her hot stretch hitting a three-pointer to start the third quarter but UH followed it up by going 0-of-7 from the floor and nearly seven minutes without registering a field goal. The drought led to a 14-0 run by the Pilots for a 50-36 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
 
The fourth quarter stayed on the same pace as the previous three frames, with UH being outscored 20-18, leading to the eventual final.
 
Phillips led all scorers with a career-high 25 points, hitting 10-of-14 from the field, and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. Graduate center Kallin Spiller contributed with seven points of her own while pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
UH battled throughout the evening but shot a combined 37% from the floor and 21% from beyond the arc. The turnover battle stayed close, favoring the Pilots by a slim margin of minus one, at 21-20, while the home squad also took the rebounding advantage, 35-27.
 
The 'Bows will have just over a week layoff as they return to the island of O'ahu for an extended stay, beginning with the Bank of Hawai'i Classic on Friday, Nov. 18, against Florida Gulf Coast. UH will not have another road game for over a month as they don't travel to San Jose State till Dec. 21 before starting conference action.