HONOLULU-- The University of Hawai'i return to the island of O'ahu for week six of the Big West schedule as they'll host UC Davis on Thursday, followed by Cal Poly on Saturday. Earlier this season, the Rainbow Wahine knocked off both teams on the road to begin conference play in late December.

GM 20 & 21 | HAWAI'I (8-11, 6-4) VS. UC DAVIS (9-11, 5-5) | HAWAI'I (8-11, 6-4) VS. CAL POLY (5-13, 2-8)
Date | Time				Thursday, February 2nd, 2023, 7:00 p.m. HT | Saturday, February 4th, 2023. 7:00 p.m. HT
Location				Honolulu, O'ahu- SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
Television				Spectrum Sports
Live Stream				Thursday | Saturday
Radio				Thursday (ESPN Honolulu) | Saturday (CBS 1500)
Tickets				Thursday | Saturday
Live Stats				Thursday | Saturday
Game Notes				Hawai'i | UC Davis | Cal Poly
Social Media				@HawaiiWBB | #HawaiiWBB | @hawaiiwbb | Facebook
Promotions				The Rainbow Wahine Basketball team will celebrate Black History Month (February) throughout the games. Hawaii Pacific Health is the sponsor on Saturday and will award a massage certificate and tickets to the Honolulu Zoo. Free Wahine Basketball team photos (500) will be distributed prior to the game at Gate A. Also on Saturday, there will be an autograph session with the team following the game at Gate B. Visit the sports marketing table (located near Gate A) to register to participate in the halftime promotional contest for the chance to win great prizes. Adult tickets are $7, Seniors (ages 65+) are $5, and youth (ages 4 - high school) are free.

NEWS & NOTES

• The 'Bows are currently experiencing déjà vu week after week. Over the past four weeks, UH has played two conference opponents losing the first game of the two, followed by winning the second game. The only exception was week one when they beat the two teams they're playing this week in UC Davis and Cal Poly, on the road. 
• UH is coming off a brutal road swing with visits to UC Santa Barbara and CSU Bakersfield. The 'Bows held a 20-point lead over the Gauchos in the third quarter but let the game slip away, following a 22-0 run spanning from the third to the fourth quarter for a 72-69 loss. UH bounced back with a 51-47 win over CSU Bakersfield two days later after trailing by double-digits early.
• Sophomore guard Lily Wahinekapu has scored 10 or more points in five straight games and six of her last seven. Last season with Cal State Fullerton, she put together a string of 12 games, including three games of 20 points or more during the stretch.
• Previously against UC Davis on December 29^th, graduate center Kallin Spiller, sophomore guard Daejah Phillips, sophomore center Nnenna Orji, and Wahinekapu tallied double-digit points in the 70-62 victory. Wahinekapu led the way with 17 points, while Spiller turned in a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds.
• Spiller led the way in the 50-47 win over Cal Poly on December 31^st with 18 points and five rebounds. Against the Mustangs in her career, she is averaging 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

 
WHERE DO WE STAND?
Entering the week, UH sits at No. 5 in the Big West standings, looking up at UC Irvine, Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, and UC San Diego. All four teams represent the four losses on the 'Bows' conference record at 6-4. The six who sit below them, you guessed it, UH has beat in the first half of the season. The average loss margin against a conference foe for UH sits at six points, while the Bows are winning by an average margin of eight points.
 
WHICH IS IT? OFFENSE OR DEFENSE?
All year, the 'Bows have been trying to figure out the formula to win consistently. Currently, UH is averaging 58.4 points per game and are 4-6 when they score under 60 points. But when they drop 70 or more, they're undefeated at 2-0. Their opponents are averaging 60.6 points per game. When opponents hit their average or better, UH is 2-11 this year, but when they hold opponents under 60 points, they're 6-0.
 
STEAL THE ROCK, SHOOT THE ROCK, DROP THE PEOPLE'S ELBOW
Sophomore forward Meilani McBee is figuring out where she fits in the lineup and the rotation. She has played 19 games in her third season, starting six, including the last five for UH, while averaging 18.4 minutes. In those 19 games, she has only been held scoreless four times. She has scored double digits in three games, including a career-high of 22 against Cal State Fullerton on January 7^th. She has also tallied three or more steals in those three games and is third on the team in swipes with 23. She is also second on the team in three-point shooting at 34% from beyond the arc.  
 
BROUGHT TO YOU BY GILKEY WINDOWS
Control the boards, control the game. UH has worked to keep teams off the boards allowing opponents to only average 32.4 boards per game, while the 'Bows have pulled down 33.8 per contest for a small plus margin. When UH has outrebounded their opponents or tied, they're 8-3. When they're getting outworked, they sit at 0-8.
 
SHE'S CONSISTENT
Graduate center Kallin Spiller is on an impressive streak as she has started in 31 straight games for UH. She won't reach the mark of Amy Atwell last season, where she hit 57 straight games, ranging over two seasons. In recent memory, Julissa Tago reached 30 straight games, Tia Kanoa hit 35, and Sarah Toeaina got 55.