The Hawaii women’s basketball team clamped down on defense to win its first game of the season.

MeiLani McBee scored 12 points off the bench to lead three Rainbow Wahine in double figures and Hawaii, with four different starters from Thursday’s loss to Portland, blew out Portland State 72-50 on Saturday night at Viking Pavilion in Portland, Ore.

McBee, one of 11 Rainbow Wahine to play at least 13 minutes, made two 3-pointers and shot 5-for-10 from the field to help Hawaii (1-1) split its two-game road trip to start the season in Oregon.

“We needed to have a good response from Thursday,” Hawaii coach Laura Beeman said. “I didn’t think we had a great effort on Thursday. Tonight I thought we fixed that. I think everybody that stepped on the floor did their job with hustle plays and getting on the boards and doing the things we need to do.”

Daejah Phillips added 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting and center Ritorya Tamilo finished with 10 points in 15 minutes.

Phillips was the only player Beeman started in both of Hawaii’s games.

Seniors Kelsie Imai and Mia Uhilia and sophomore Jade Peacock started alongside Phillips and Tamilo, a freshman who has scored in double figures in each of her first two games.

“We’re going to put players on the floor, whether it’s starters or during the game, people who want to work hard,” Beeman said. “It’s not necessarily discipline if someone is not in the starting lineup. It’s more us rewarding people who are going out there and getting things done.”

Jovi Lefotu scored nine points and added four rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench and center Brooklyn Rewers added seven points and five rebounds in 13 minutes.

Jamia Carter had a game-high 15 points for the Vikings (0-1), who shot 50% (7-for-14) from the field in the first quarter and led 20-19 after the opening 10 minutes.

Hawaii outscored Portland State 53-30 the rest of the game.

“We started talking more defensively,” Beeman said. “We had to make a couple of adjustments to what they were running and we should have made those (adjustments) earlier.”

Senior guard Lily Wahinekapu played 17 minutes and finished with five points, two rebounds and two assists.

Freshman Kira-May Filemu had six points in 15 minutes off the bench.

Hawaii will return home to play in the Bank of Hawaii Classic next, beginning Nov. 22 against Louisiana-Monroe.

“I liked the response we had tonight. I think it would have been easy for us tonight to not work, but we got a lead and kept it and I think that shows some maturity,” Beeman said. “We’re really getting our young (players) some playing time and while that might change later in the season, right now we’re going to find people who are in there for their effort and who are trying to execute what we want to execute.”