On senior day, Hawaii’s senior class will have a hand in deciding what kind of season 2018-19 will be.
Coach Laura Beeman will start her four seniors — point guard Tia Kanoa, off guard Rachel Odumu and forwards Leah and Lahni Salanoa — in the final home game of the season against Cal State Fullerton.
The up-and-down Rainbow Wahine (11-15, 7-6) are coming off a pitfall of a week but are still on the cusp of a top-four seed and a bye in the Big West tournament with three games to play. A fifth or lower seed means a much tougher road through the bracket.
Fullerton and second-year coach Jeff Harada, a Hawaii native, are fighting for tournament positioning as well, currently in sixth (13-13, 5-8).
Still shaken by the loss of top scorer and rebounder Makenna Woodfolk due to an announced pregnancy last week — followed by two debilitating losses — the Wahine spent this single-game week building back their cohesion in practice.
That’s where Beeman was grateful for the presence of her two upperclassmen who arrived from other Division I schools. Kanoa and Odumu came to UH from Arizona State and Monmouth, respectively, looking for fresh opportunities and redshirted in 2016-17.
“They were able to bring an experienced mind and heart to the youngsters as well as upperclassmen,” Beeman said, “and say, ‘Look, this is life. This is what happens in life. You have change. It’s how you deal with the change, how you move with the change that’s going to determine your outcome.’ ”
Kanoa, a Kamehameha graduate, relished playing in front of family and friends over the past two years. The pugnacious pass-first player stands to leave as the program’s career leader in assists average (5.0). BJ Itoman (4.3) has owned it since 1999.
“Pretty much everything,” Kanoa said of what it meant to come home. “From just the pride of being able to represent my family, represent where I come from, the support that I’ve gotten from the local fans. People who come and watch are really loyal too, and my family. That kind of support, you don’t get it a lot of other places.”
The versatile Salanoas, of Oxnard, Calif., committed to UH without ever having taken a trip to the islands, although they have extensive extended family here.
“Definitely an amazing experience with my sister,” Leah Salanoa said. “I don’t know how I’d do it without her, knowing how much she had my back growing over the past few years, and knowing how much I had hers. We wouldn’t know what to do without each other. Definitely cool having her here, having the good memories and having fun during games. Even bumping heads. But it’s all worth it at the end.”
They could both end up in the program’s top 10 in career 3s made. Leah is 10th all-time right now with 96 3s and Lahni is 11th with 93.
“I think the main thing I’ll remember is the friendships I made here, with the girls and other friends as well,” Lahni Salanoa said. “I think that’ll be the main thing that’ll stick out.”
Odumu, who was born in London and raised in Virginia, took an uncommon path to Manoa after playing for England’s under-18 national team in 2014, followed by two years at Monmouth in New Jersey. The athletic defensive specialist with the “eclectic personality” (as Beeman described her) hasn’t played much this season.
“It’s been quite a journey. A lot of ups, a lot of downs,” Odumu said. “Coming all the way from Monmouth, it was a really huge transition for me, not only as a basketball player but as a person. And for the better. I grew a lot when I was at Monmouth, but I grew the most here at Hawaii under Coach B. She’s taught me how to be a really cool person, a really cool human.”
Expect some elaborate senior celebrations to follow the game.
“I’m excited to see what they’re going to do. I have an idea, but not a full idea,” Beeman said. “I do know that whatever each one of these young ladies does tomorrow, it is absolutely gonna be a reflection and representation of who they are as people.”
