Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics

Social Media Content Stream

McBee layup
47
Cal Poly CPO 13-10,9-4 Big West
59
Winner Hawaii Hawaii 14-9,11-3 Big West
Cal Poly CPO
13-10,9-4 Big West
47
Final
59
Hawaii Hawaii
14-9,11-3 Big West
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Cal Poly CPO 14 8 13 12 47
Hawaii Hawaii 17 11 10 21 59

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Basketball Finishes Strong To Put Away Cal Poly

HONOLULU — The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team regained sole possession of first place n the Big West with a 59-47 win over Cal Poly on Thursday at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
 
The Rainbow Wahine (14-9, 11-3) led for the vast majority of the game but needed a fourth-quarter surge and strong performance from guard MeiLani McBee to eventually pull away. UH closed the game on a 12-3 run to complete a sweep of the regular-season series with Cal Poly (13-10, 9-5) and officially clinch its spot in the Big West Championship in Henderson, Nev. 

McBee scored 12 of her season-high 21 points in a fourth-quarter stretch that gave the Rainbow Wahine command of the game. She also hit two 3-pointers to move into fourth place in program history with 141 for her career. McBee went 6 for 8 from the field overall and drained all seven of her free throws to finish just two points shy of her career high. 

UH drained 20 of 26 free throw attempts, including 10 of 12 in the decisive fourth quarter to pull away from the Mustangs and move a half-game ahead of idle UC Irvine atop the Big West standings.

Sophomore forward Imani Perez tied her career high with 10 rebounds and matched a season best with four blocked shots. Guard Lily Wahinekapu added nine points and all nine UH players who saw playing time scored.

Cal Poly scored first to open the game, but McBee hit a jumper to beat the shot clock and Perez drained a 3-pointer in an 11-3 UH run to move ahead in the first quarter. McBee went 3-for-3 from the field in the first 10 minutes and hit a 3-pointer to move into a tie with former UH guard Julissa Tago with 140 career 3-pointers.
 
UH got out to a 1-for-8 start with three turnovers in the second quarter and Cal Poly tied it up at 19-19 on a 3-pointer by Sidney Richards. But UH found its rhythm and went on a 7-0 run with Daejah Phillips hitting three free throws, scoring on a drive then feeding Jacque David for a layup. UH held Cal Poly to one field goal in the final six minutes of the half and took a 28-22 lead into the break after Wahinekapu hit a turnaround jumper just before the buzzer.

Cal Poly closed to 34-31 midway through the third quarter and remained within striking distance while UH went 2-for-10 from the field in the period. Cal Poly scored first in the fourth quarter to cut the UH lead to one at 38-37 and moved ahead on two free throws at the 8:30 mark to take its first lead since the early moments of the first quarter. Wahinekapu though gave UH the lead right back with a jumper in the lane while drawing a foul.

Cal Poly tied it again at 41-41 and McBee hit a corner three-pointer to give UH the lead for good. With UH up 47-44, a Cal Poly technical foul gave UH two sets of free throws and McBee knocked down all four. She then scored on a drive to cap a personal six-point run and extend UH's lead to 53-44. Kelsie Imai scored on a spinning shot in the lane and UH put the game away from the free-throw line.

The Rainbow Wahine held Cal Poly to just 33 percent shooting for the game, including a 4-of-14 showing in the final quarter. The win marked UH's sixth straight over the Mustangs and the eighth time the 'Bows held an opponent under 50 points this season.
 
The Rainbow Wahine closes the homestand on Saturday against UC Santa Barbara (16-8, 10-4)  in "Beeman's Big Bash." Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. The 'Bows are taking aim at the largest attendance figure in head coach Laura Beeman's 12-year tenure in the rematch of last year's Big West Championship final. 
 
#HawaiiWBB
Print Friendly Version