Whether competing up or down in weight class, University of Hawaii women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman expects the same amount of effort and level of intensity: 100%.
She felt she got that, or close to it, for the most part in Hawaii’s 86-49 victory over NAIA school Hope International at the Stan Sheriff Center on Sunday — a week after UH’s huge upset win at Washington.
“The first half we didn’t underestimate them but we did not play our best basketball,” Beeman said. “In the second half we came out and gave Hope the respect they deserve for being such a good team.”
The Royals (10-3) are indeed a good team — at the small-college level.
As for UH (6-5) not playing its “best basketball” in the first 20 minutes? Well, the Wahine did something right after falling behind 10-6 early. They ran off 16 unanswered points. That got them started on their highest scoring output of the season.
They did it with two starters resting nagging injuries. Point guard Nae Nae Calhoun and forward Amy Atwell did not play, as Beeman varied the starting lineup for the first time this season. Senior Courtney Middap and freshman Myrrah Joseph replaced Calhoun and Atwell.
Joseph — despite some admitted jitters — matched her high in points with 15. The veteran Middap wasn’t nervous at all, and it showed in her 10-0 assists-to-turnovers. She also pitched in nine points, six rebounds and two steals.
The most spectacular numbers came from another freshman; 6-foot-1 forward Kasey Neubert tied for game high with 22 points, and she did it in less than 21 minutes off the bench. She was perfect from the floor (8-for-8) and the line (6-for-6).
“I just kind of listened to my coaches this game,” Neubert said. “They said keep it high and I kept it high and took care of the ball.”
That made perfect sense against the small but pesky Royals. Hope guard Dakota Viena also scored 22 points, and five of them got her team out to that early lead.
But HIU turned over the ball 14 times in the first half. Then Hawaii pulled away — often because the Wahine made the extra pass, giving up good shots for better ones under the hoop; 24 of their 32 baskets came off of assists.
“That’s the one thing I absolutely love about this group,” Beeman said.
It was 38-26 at halftime, and then 63-42 after three quarters.
Viena (who also led the Royals with six rebounds), Rhianne Omori and Ysabelle Halemano all played for Maryknoll, the three-time Hawaii high school state tournament runner-up (2016-18). Omori scored seven points and had five rebounds and three assists. Halemano was scoreless with three rebounds.
