The Hawaii women’s basketball team remained untouchable at home in the Big West on Thursday night.
Season-best performances from three players propelled the Rainbow Wahine to one of their best offensive performances in years, a 94-70 win over UC Irvine for a 3-0 mark at the Stan Sheriff Center in conference play.
It was the most points scored by the program since a 97-88 overtime win over SMU on March 9, 2001.
“I’m telling them to shoot that thing, and they are,” said coach Laura Beeman, who trotted out a small lineup with center Lauren Rewers unavailable.
“These guys like to play free. They’ve run themselves into shape. We are a conditioned team to hit 50% (51.5) from the floor with an eight-person rotation.”
>> Photo Gallery: Women’s basketball: Hawaii vs. UC Irvine
Guard Julissa Tago matched her season best of 25 points — her fifth 20-point game of the season — while wing Jadynn Alexander put in a career-high 19 points and forward Myrrah Joseph matched her career high of 15.
“Beeman has always told me, for all four years, she’s always given me the green light and to be shot-ready,” Tago said. “I think I’m finally starting to understand the mentality, that I can do what I want to do. But my teammates always find me the ball in open spaces, in spots they know I’m going to be ready.”
Tago hit five 3-pointers, passing Jade Abele, Kylie (Page) Galloway and Janevia Taylor (117) for sole possession of fourth on the UH career list. She stands at 121, with Nani Cockett up next at 128.
UH (10-10, 4-3 Big West) now hosts Long Beach State (10-10, 5-2) at 5:30 p.m. Saturday looking to avenge a 62-55 loss at the Walter Pyramid on Jan. 23.
“We wanted to come back from the road, hit Long Beach in the mouth, and Irvine, send them home,” said Joseph, who started in the post and grabbed three of UH’s nine offensive rebounds. “But I feel like coming back in, everyone’s putting in the work that they need to. Making sure we’re that first or second seed because we’re going back to the conference tournament this year, and we’re planning on winning it.”
UH sank 14 3-pointers in 28 attempts, the fifth time this season they hit double figures in triples — and most aside from their program-record 18 hit in their previous home game against Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 18.
Alexander put in 16 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the first half, one point off her career high, as UH committed only three of its seven turnovers to lead 48-32. It was its high-point mark in any half this season.
UH pushed it to 65-42 with consecutive triples by Nae Nae Calhoun and Amy Atwell in the third quarter. Atwell hit UH’s sixth long ball of the period to beat the buzzer.
Irvine (5-15, 1-5), the preseason pick to win the Big West, has struggled without its top player, junior forward Jordan Sanders, who left the team for personal reasons seven games into the year.
Anteaters point guard Lauren Saiki, who entered the night No. 4 nationally in assists average (6.8), cut it to 80-66 on a layup with over six minutes left. Tago squelched that with her fifth 3. Saiki had 16 points, four assists and four turnovers, while guard Dani Guglielmo had a career-high 19 points in the loss.
A crowd of 444 was on hand as UH held a moment of silence pregame for Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other victims of a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., on Sunday.
