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Daejah Phillips drives vs. UCLA
70
Winner UCLA UCLA 8-0,0-0 Big Ten
49
Hawaii Hawaii 5-2,0-0 Big West
Winner
UCLA UCLA
8-0,0-0 Big Ten
70
Final
49
Hawaii Hawaii
5-2,0-0 Big West
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
UCLA UCLA 18 14 24 14 70
Hawaii Hawaii 7 22 10 10 49

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women's Basketball Tests Top-Ranked UCLA

HONOLULU –- The University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine basketball team gave it their best shot before falling to top-ranked UCLA, 70-49 in the championship game of the American Savings Bank Rainbow Wahine Showdown on Sunday afternoon at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

In its first game against the nation's No. 1-ranked team since taking on Baylor in 2012, the 'Bows gave the Bruins all they could handle in the first half. UCLA entered Sunday having beaten its previous two tournament opponents by an average of 58 points. But Hawai'i (5-2) trailed by just three at the break and cut it to one on its opening possession of the second half.

But after that it was all Bruins (8-0) as they used a 24-10 third-quarter run to pull away. Tournament MVP Lauren Betts scored 18 points, while all-tournament pick Kiki RIce added a game-high 21 points to lead the Bruins. 

Lily Wahinekapu, who garnered a spot on the all-tournament team with Ritorya Tamilo, scored a team-high 10 points while Daejah Phillips added nine points. Brooklyn Rewers played solidly in the post scoring eight points with a team-high six rebounds and two blocked shots.

The loss snapped UH's 15-game home win streak, dating back to last season. 

UCLA raced out to a 9-0 lead barely three minutes into the game. UH's offense struggled early, missing nine of its first 10 shots. The Bruins led 18-11 to end the first quarter. UH shot just 2-of-14 from the field, including just 1-of-10 from three-point land

Hawai'i however fought their way back into the game, outscoring UCLA 22-14 in the second quarter. Rebecca Moors drained a three-pointer with 5:03 left in the first half to close to within five points, 22-17. Later, both Jade Peacock and MeiLani McBee both drilled three-pointers in the waning minutes of the half. McBee's trey closed their deficit to within two points before the Bruins clung to a 32-29 lead a the break. UH shot just 27 percent in the first half, but hit a trio of three-pointers in the second quarter and went a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line. 

Although UH overcame halftime deficits in each of the last two days, the Bruins would begin pulling away in the third quarter. Daejah Phillips' layup on UH's opening possession made it just a one-point game, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. But Betts responded with a bucket to spark nine unanswered UCLA points. After reestablishing a double-digit cushion, UCLA was never threatened, building its led to as many as 23 points. 

UH stayed in the game with gritty defense, holding UCLA to its lowest halftime total and its second-lowest total output for the season. The Bows also registered seven blocks for the game. 

In the consolation game earlier in the day, Fresno State defeated UT Martin in overtime,, 75-66.    

The Rainbow Wahine will continue its seven-game homestand with its first Big West game of the year versus Long Beach State on Saturday, Dec. 7. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m.

All-Tournament Team
Mia Jacobs, Fresno State
Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Ritorya Tamilo, Hawai'i
Lily Wahinekapu, Hawai'i

MVP: Lauren Betts, UCLA
#HawaiiWBB
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