The University of Hawaii men's and women's basketball teams make their way to the Big Island for a weekend of community outreach and competition with sister school UH Hilo. The men's squad will get the weekend started with an exhibition game Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. The women's teams will square off Sunday, Oct. 27 starting at 2 p.m.
The weekend will also include a pair of free keiki clinics conducted by both schools Saturday afternoon at the Pana'ewa Park Gym. The boys' clinic will be 2-3:15 p.m. and the girls' clinic will be 3:30-4:45 p.m. Spots are limited to the first 100 sign-ups for each clinic. Deadline to sign up is Friday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m.
'BOWS NOTES
- The Rainbow Wahine basketball team makes its first appearance at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium since hosting the Chevron Rainbow Wahine Shootout in 2010.
- The game will serve as a homecoming for senior point guard Kelsie Imai who was a multi-sport athlete and All-State basketball player at Waiakea High School.
- The two teams met last year in Honolulu with the Rainbow Wahine defeating the Vulcans, 67-39, in exhibition action.
- The Rainbow Wahine welcome back 10 players from last year's squad that captured the Big West regular-season title for the second time in three years.
- This will be the first time since 2011 that the men's squad makes its way to the Big Island. The Rainbow Warriors and Vulcans played each other in Kona that year in a regular-season matchup won by UH 79-66 on Dec. 16.
- The UH men last played at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in 2001 when they won two of three games in the Big Island Invitational Tournament.
- The 'Bows and Vulcans met last year in Honolulu with UH defeating Hilo, 82-66, in the 'Bows' season-opener.
- Eight newcomers join a group of seven players from last year's Rainbow Warrior squad that posted the program's second straight 20-win season.
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