RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team extended its hot streak with its highest scoring performance since 2020 in an 89-56 rout at UC Riverside on Thursday at SRC Arena in Riverside, Calif.
The Rainbow Wahine (19-10, 13-6 Big West) opened the final week of the regular season by setting season highs in points, field goals made, and field-goal percentage in rolling to their seventh straight win and their 13
th victory in the last 14 games.
UH's win and Cal State Fullerton's loss at UC San Diego left the 'Bows alone in fourth place in the Big West standings entering the final day of the regular season. A top-four finish comes with a bye in the first round of the Credit Union 1 Big West Basketball Championships in Henderson, Nev.
UH's point total was the program's highest since a 94-70 win at UC Irvine on Jan. 30, 2020. The 'Bows 56.5% shooting performance from the field was their best since shooting 57.1% in a win at CSUN on Jan. 16, 2023. The 33-point margin tied for the eighth widest in a road game in program history, matching a 74-41 win at Grand Canyon on Nov. 13, 2015.
UH senior
Saniyah Neverson set the tone for the offensive outburst by scoring the game's first eight points on her way to a career-high 19-point performance. She went 8 for 11 from the field and tied her career bests for field goals made and assists (four).
Guard
Jovi Lefotu went 5 for 6 from the field to post a season-high 12 points.
Imani Perez and
Keiara Curtis each hit two 3-pointers and finished with 10 points apiece. In all, 14 UH players contributed to the scoring and the 'Bows never trailed in the contest. Seven UH players hit at least one 3-pointer and the 'Bows went 10 for 20 overall from beyond the arc.
Perez also blocked two shots and moved into a tie for sixth place on the program's all-time list with 125 career blocks, matching Shawna-Lei Kuehu's total (2010-15). The 'Bows finished with a total of nine blocks as a team while holding UCR to 27.9% shooting from the field.
Hannah Wickstrom, the Big West's leading scorer entering the week, scored 10 points in the first quarter for the host Highlanders (10-20, 8-12). But she was held to just four points the rest of the way after scoring 36 in the first meeting between UH and UCR this season, a 65-58 Highlanders win on Jan. 1 in Honolulu.
Neverson made four of her first five shots of the game while Wickstrom countered to keep UCR close in the first quarter. Flavell scored in the lane in the final seconds and UH led 15-12 going into the second.
UH maintained a lead throughout the second quarter although UCR cut the margin to 33-30 when Seneca Hackley scored five straight points. But Neverson answered with a 3-pointer and Curtis knocked down her first of the game.
Jovi Lefotu attacked on a fast break for a layup and Curtis pulled up for another deep 3-pointer to cap an 11-0 run and the 'Bows led 44-30 at halftime.
UH's 29-point second quarter marked its highest scoring period of the season and the 'Bows continued to pull away in the third, going 8 for 12 from the field with three 3-pointers. UH's bench closed out the win in the fourth with freshman center
Fiamma Serra scoring on a putback and
Ella Collins and
Danijela Kujovic hitting 3-pointers.
The Rainbow Wahine finish out the regular season at Long Beach State on Saturday, March 7 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. Pacific Time (noon Hawai'i Time). The 'Bows will then head to Las Vegas in advance of the Credit Union 1 Big West Basketball Championships.
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