SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team extended its winning streak in the series with Cal Poly while earning its first Big West win of the season with a 62-50 victory on Saturday at the Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Trailing by three after the first quarter, the Rainbow Wahine (7-6, 1-2 Big West) outscored the host Mustangs 19-5 in the second and maintained control through the final buzzer to earn the program's seventh straight win over Cal Poly (6-8, 1-3) and a split of their first road trip of the conference season.
MeiLani McBee hit three 3-pointers and was among three UH players in double figures with a season-high 14 points to help the 'Bows end a three-game skid.
Lily Wahinekapu also finished with 14 points and set a season best with seven assists.
Brooklyn Rewers added 11 points, including a 3-pointer late in the third quarter to help fend off Cal Poly's comeback bid.
Daejah Phillips finished with eight points and matched her season high with seven rebounds and
Mia 'Uhila scored seven of her nine points in the fourth quarter to help the 'Bows top Cal Poly for the 11
th time in the last 12 meetings, including five consecutive wins in San Luis Obispo.
UH won the rebounding battle 41-31 and allowed just four second-chance points while holding the Mustangs to 31% shooting from the field. UH held an opponent under 40% shooting for the ninth time this season and allowed 50 points or fewer for the fifth time.
Sierra Lichte led Cal Poly with 11 points and Mary Carter finished with 10. But the 'Bows limited guard Annika Shah, the Mustangs' leading scorer and one of the nation's top 3-point shooters, to five points on 1-for-11 shooting overall.
Cal Poly's Ashley Hiraki sparked the Mustangs' early in the game by hitting all three of her attempts from 3-point range in the first quarter to help the Mustangs take a 16-13 lead through the first 10 minutes.
After Cal Poly scored first in the second period, UH put together a 7-0 run and took a 20-18 lead on a McBee 3-pointer. McBee connected again from long range to cap an eight-point UH surge and the lead reached double digits when Wahinekapu drained a 3-pointer and the 'Bows took a 32-21 lead into halftime.
UH opened up its widest lead at 37-23 when McBee hit her third 3-pointer of the game. Cal Poly answered with a 6-0 run to prompt a UH timeout.
Rebecca Moors drew a foul on a cut to the basket and hit both free throws and Rewers scored inside to shift the momentum back to the 'Bows. Rewers then hit a 3-pointer to give UH a 44-33 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The teams accounted for one basket between them over the first 5:55 of the fourth quarter before Carter scored on a jumper in the lane and a 3-pointer to cut the UH lead to eight with 2:43 left. But Rewers answered with a layup and Wahinekapu scooped in a reverse layup and the 'Bows maintained control in the final minutes.
The Rainbow Wahine return to SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center to face UC Riverside on Jan. 9 and Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 11 in their first homestand of 2025.
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