HENDERSON, Nev. — The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team gutted out a 72-61 quarterfinal win over Cal State Fullerton in overtime to open up the 2026  Credit Union 1 Big West Basketball Championship Thursday at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, Nev.  
 
The fourth-seeded Rainbow Wahine (21-10) led for the majority of regulation, fell behind in the fourth quarter, but clawed back to force overtime where they shut the door on the  No. 5-seeded Titans (18-14).

UH outscored the Titans 11-0 in the extra frame as the Rainbow Wahine employed their trademark defense by holding CSF to 0-of-7 shooting from the field. 

The 'Bows advance to the tournament semifinals where they will face top-seeded UC Irvine on Friday at noon PT/9 a.m. HT. It was the ninth straight win for UH and its 15th in its last 16 games. 

Bailey Flavell led four Rainbow Wahine in double-digits with 14 points. Saniyah Neverson and Imani Perez each had 12, while Keiara Curtis had 10.  The 'Bows shot 48 percent from the field while holding the Titans to just 26 percent. UH tallied 10 blocks with Perez notching four, along with Ritorya Tamilo. 

Flavell hit her first three shots, including two 3-pointers, and the 'Bows went 6 for 8 as a team to open up a 14-7 lead in the opening period. Cal State Fullerton countered with three 3-pointers and UH held a 20-17 lead through 10 minutes.

​​Curtis opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer and UH opened up its widest lead of the half when Jovi Lefotu drained a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock to extend the margin to 34-25. The Titans connected on two more 3s later and cut the 'Bows lead to 36-31 heading into halftime.

UH shot 64% from the field in the first half, but Cal State Fullerton stayed close with a 9-0 advantage in points off of turnovers, as well as an 8-1 advantage on offensive rebounds.

Perez hit a 3-pointer to open the third quarter, but Cal State Fullerton's pressure fueled an 8-0 run to tie it up at 39-39. Flavell ended UH's near five-minute drought with a 3-point play that sparked UH's own 10-0 run to put the 'Bows up 49-39 late in the third.  UH eventually took a 52-47 lead going into the fourth. 

Bailey converts the And-1 and is up to 11 points! #GoBows #SISTAHHOOD pic.twitter.com/uESmignSr9

— Hawai'i Women's Basketball (@HawaiiWBB) March 12, 2026

Cal State Fullerton opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run, going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, to take its first lead of the game. UH missed its first five shots of the period and committed four turnovers and Fullerton led 57-52.

Perez ended UH's nightmare start in the fourth by drilling a corner three-pointer at the 3:08 mark. UH then got four straight free throws to reclaim the lead, 59-57, with two minutes remaining. It was back-and-forth from there with each team having multiple opportunities to win the game in regulation before it went into overtime deadlocked, 61-61. 

Teyahna on the attack! 💨#GoBows #SISTAHHOOD pic.twitter.com/JbncturYK6

— Hawai'i Women's Basketball (@HawaiiWBB) March 12, 2026

Once overtime started, it was all UH. A Neverson putback and a pair of Tamilo free throws put UH up 65-61 and a Teyahna Bond fast-break layup with 1:20 left gave UH a six-point lead. It was an insurmountable deficit for the Titans who couldn't convert in seven field goal attempts and UH advanced to the semifinals for the eighth straight Big West Championship.