HENDERSON, Nev.-- The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team is set to defend its conference tournament championship from 2022 by taking on Cal State Fullerton at 6:30 p.m. HT on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the Hercules Tires Big West Basketball Championships at the Dollar Loan Center.

GM 30- BIG WEST QUARTERFINALS | HAWAI'I (15-14, 13-7) VS. CAL STATE FULLERTON (14-15, 9-11)
Date | Time				Wednesday, March 8th, 2023, 6:30 p.m. HT
Location				Henderson, Nev. - Dollar Loan Center
Television				None
Live Stream				ESPN+
Radio				ESPN Honolulu
Tickets				Session 4
Live Stats				vs. CSF
Game Notes				Hawai'i | Cal State Fullerton
Social Media				@HawaiiWBB | #HawaiiWBB | @hawaiiwbb | Facebook
Bracket				Click Here

NEWS & NOTES

• The Rainbow Wahine enters the tournament by winning seven of their last nine games to claim the No. 3 seed with a 13-7 record against conference opponents.
• UH picked up two wins at home to cap off the regular season. Thursday, March 2^nd, they took down CSUN for the season sweep 66-58, followed by a 68-58 victory over UC Santa Barbra to split the season series.
• The victory over UCSB in the regular season finale may have been the most complete game of the season for UH as four players scored double figures, including a 21-point performance by sophomore guard Lily Wahinekapu, and as a team UH committed a season-low six turnovers while forcing 19, and scoring 21 points off those miscues.
• Three players who ended the regular season on a high note are Wahinekapu, freshman post player Imani Perez, and swing guard Daejah Phillips. Wahinekapu is averaging 12.6 points per game against conference opponents, Phillips has scored double-digits in five straight games, while Perez is one the most productive run of her young career over the last four games averaging 11.5 points and eight rebounds.
• In the 10 series against conference foes this season, UH swept five (Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, UC Riverside, Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield), split three (UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis), and were swept in two (UC Irvine, Long Beach State).
• In the first two matchups against the Titans, the 'Bows relied on their defense to keep them in check. UH held CSF to under 40% shooting in both games, including only 14% from three-point territory in the second game. In game one on January 7^th, sophomore forward Meilani McBee caught fire for 22 points, hitting six threes, while the defense forced 18 turnovers and 21 points off those miscues. In the most recent game on February 11^th, Daejah Phillips dropped 18 points and accumulated 34 points in the paint.

 
WELL-DESERVED HONORS
The votes were tallied, and all the conference coaches agreed on the impact of sophomore guard Lily Wahinekapu and freshman post-player Imani Perez. Wahinekapu was named to the All-Big West First Team, and Perez to the All-Big Freshman team. At the same time, sophomore guard Daejah Phillips and graduate center Kallin Spiller were appointed Honorable Mentions. Wahinekapu, Phillips, and Spiller bring the list to 25 players under head coach Laura Beeman to receive an all-conference honor. At the same time, Perez is the fifth player to be selected to the All-Freshman squad during her 11-year tenure.
 
THE EMERGENCE OF IMANI
Throughout a season, there is always one player who emerges as the next star, it's still early, but the freshman post player looks to be on the verge of becoming a "go-to" force for the 'Bows. In non-conference play, Perez averaged roughly 14 minutes, three rebounds, and three points while coming off the bench in all but one of those nine games. In Big West play, her time and production were cut even more through the first 14 games, averaging under 10 minutes and roughly three points per game. It all changed in mid-February as Perez stepped up due to multiple season-ending injuries across the roster. She has started in four of the last six games, averaging over 20 minutes, scoring 10 or more points in her previous four contests while notching her first career double-double against CSUN on Mar. 2^nd.
 
SILENT KILLER
Wahinekapu isn't known for being a vocal player on or off the court. Her mild-mannered personality is that of an introvert that you should be aware of because she is a game changer. The former Freshman of the Year at Cal State Fullerton and now Big West All-Conference First Team member leads the 'Bows in minutes played with 31.2 a game and scoring 11.9 points per game. From Jan. 16 to Feb. 23, she wracked up a 12-game streak of scoring 10 or more points in a game, including a season-high 21 points on the road at Long Beach State. In the three-game since the streak ended, she recorded nine points in back-to-back games while tying her season-high 21 points against UC Santa Barbara on Mar. 4^th.
 
DAEJAH BALL
If you've seen Daejah Phillips play before, you may already know what "Daejah Ball" means. Essentially, as she calls it, "time to be the big dawg." Phillips prides herself on being a go-to player, and when it's crunch time or when the 'Bows needs a spark, she has provided it nearly every time in her three years. More so this season as she began the season in the starting lineup, but she asked Coach Beeman to start her on the bench to get a look at their opponents and then make some noise. Since Jan. 16^th, Phillips has come off the bench, and the 'Bows have gone 10-5; before that stretch, they went 5-9.  
 
DEALING WITH THE INJURIES
One of the downsides of the season has been the number of injuries the 'Bows have had to deal with, as they lost four players to season-ending ailments. Junior Olivia Davies, sophomore Jacque David, and freshman Jovi Lefotu were all lost due to knee injuries. At the same time, freshman Avery Watkins is out due to an ankle injury. At home games, behind the bench, you'll see three sets of crutches and a two-wheel scooter to help them all get around.
 
ONE SHINING MOMENT CIRCA 2022
Last season was a memorable one as the head coach Laura Beeman led the 'Bows to a conference regular-season championship and the conference tournament championship, a first in the program's history. UH got a scare in the quarterfinals as CSU Bakersfield pushed them to the brink of elimination, but UH held on for a 49-48 win. Two days later, UH cruised past UC Riverside with a 69-55 victory, with Amy Atwell dropping 22 points on the Highlanders. The following day, with payback on their mind, the Gauchos turned in a solid defensive effort, but the 'Bows surpassed their upset bid with an 11-point victory for a title and ticket punched to March Madness. UH accepted the No. 15 seed and traveled to No. 2 Baylor, losing 89-49 but showcased themselves on the national stage as a contending mid-major program.