The Hawaii Rainbow Wahine are determined not to let hard-luck losses become the narrative of their season.

The Wahine stayed in California after last week’s narrow road defeats at Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge. Two more road tests remain on the marathon trip, including today’s contest at UC Santa Barbara.

The team’s three league losses have come by a combined nine points. Two, including last Saturday’s 75-72 loss at Northridge, came in gut-wrenching fashion in overtime.

"It’s definitely unfortunate how the road trip’s gone so far, but what’s done is done," said UH junior Ashleigh Karaitiana in a phone interview. "We’re focusing on our next game against Santa Barbara. Fixing things we didn’t execute in the last two games … and being able to get things ready for the next game."

Karaitiana almost single-handedly rallied UH to an improbable comeback at Northridge, scoring eight points in the final minute of regulation to send the game into overtime, where the Wahine could not hold a five-point lead. Karaitiana played all 45 minutes, finished with a career-best 28 points and tied a UH single-game record with six 3-pointers in eight attempts.

UH remained in Los Angeles through Tuesday, then headed north along the coast to Santa Barbara. The trip wraps up Saturday at league leader Cal Poly — the other conference opponent to burn UH in overtime this season.

"The overall attitude is just a sense of urgency to continue to get better, continue to compete and try to win these last two games," UH coach Laura Beeman said.

Earning a win at Cal Poly will mean a little more, though.

"You know, it’s tough to not look ahead," Beeman conceded, recounting what she considered a blown no-call by the officials on a free-throw violation by Poly’s Ariana Elegado in the final seconds on Jan. 8. Elegado darted in (to Beeman, too soon) from beyond the 3-point line and snatched the intentional missed foul shot, allowing Poly to get the game-tying basket and ensuing 78-74 victory.

UH was hurt by Kamilah Jackson’s foul trouble (two points, one rebound in eight minutes played) in a 74-72 loss at Long Beach last Thursday, and a lingering illness has limited versatile Shawna Kuehu to spot minutes on the trip. Jackson responded with 23 points and 13 boards against CSUN.

Beeman still thinks her team — which sits in a three-way tie for third — is in position to earn a top-two finish in the regular season and the double bye that comes with one of those spots in the Big West tournament. Third or fourth place yields a single bye into the second round.

"We’re looking to win the rest of our games," Beeman said. "We’re taking it a possession at a time, we’re not looking past anybody. But people are going to get beat in this conference. So our goal is to take it a game at a time, a possession at a time, try to win every game we have, and then we’ll see if we end up with that double bye or if we have to play three or four games, and if we do, that’s why we’re on this road trip. We’re used to it."

The Gauchos are led by guard Nicole Nesbit (15.8 ppg, 3.6 apg).