Even after a hectic week and an early morning flight to California on Tuesday, Laura Beeman noted an uptick in energy when the University of Hawaii women’s basketball team convened for practice on Wednesday.
The Rainbow Wahine endured a run of four games over eight days that began with a two-game road trip and included an overtime loss to Big West leader UC Irvine before they chugged to the finish in a win over UC Riverside on Saturday.
But after a day off on Sunday and a return to a more familiar routine, Beeman said the Wahine appeared recharged in their preparations for this week’s road trip to UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Bakersfield.
“I think we’ve had a chance to catch our breath,” Beeman said. “I think a couple days of practice has done us good, being able to have a true day off has been really beneficial, so right now their energy is great. I think they feel good about where we are as a team and the growth we’re trying to continue to make.”
The Rainbow Wahine (7-10, 5-3 Big West) open their road trip today by taking on one of the teams just ahead of them in the conference standings in UC Santa Barbara (13-5, 6-2) at the Thunderdome. They’ll close the week — and the first half of the Big West season — against CSU Bakersfield (5-11, 2-6) on Saturday at the Icardo Center.
UH has alternated wins and losses over the last seven games and generated a bit of momentum in a split of last week’s homestand.
The Wahine erased a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime against UC Irvine before the Anteaters jumped ahead then held on in the extra period. On Saturday, UH guard Lily Wahinekapu’s 10-point outburst in the final 10 minutes powered the Wahine past UC Riverside.
“I want them buying into the process of what were trying to do and understanding that this is the long game, not the short game, and I think they’re doing that,” Beeman said. “I want to see us continue to get better and continue to grow.”
UH guard Daejah Phillips continues to lead the team with 10.8 points per game with Wahinekapu just behind at 10.6. Forward Kallin Spiller averages 8.5 points and ranks third in the Big West with 7.7 rebounds per game.
UH is 4-3 on the road overall and 3-1 in Big West play and will take on a UC Santa Barbara team that is 7-2 at home overall, with losses to No. 15 UCLA and UC Irvine.
The Gauchos enter today’s matchup as the highest scoring team in the Big West at 68.2 points per game led by center Ila Lane and guard Alexis Tucker.
Lane, a 6-foot-4 senior, averages 12.7 points per game while shooting a league-high 54% from the field. She also leads the Big West with 8.9 rebounds per game.
“She’s a very talented post player, she gets a lot of depth and she finishes at a high clip,” Beeman said. “When she doesn’t finish, she’s following her shots.”
Tucker, a 5-11 senior, complements Lane with 12.4 points per game on 44.3% shooting and presents a multi-faceted challenge for the UH defense.
“She can put the ball on the floor, she can rebound, she can post up,” Beeman said. “Trying to find a matchup for her is going to be difficult for 40 minutes.
“I think we’re going to have to have a game of patience and consistency. Defensively, we have to be focused, and offensively, we have to move the ball and find open shooters.”
BIG WEST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
At Santa Barbara, Calif.
Hawaii (7-10, 5-3 BWC) vs. UC Santa Barbara (13-5, 6-2)
>> When: 5 p.m. today
>> TV/Radio: None
>> Online: ESPN+
