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Wahine beat LBSU in regular-season finale

Jason Kaneshiro

Hawaii guard Sarah Toeaina scored a career-high 25 points and the Rainbow Wahine basketball team closed the regular season with a 66-63 win over Long Beach State tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Toeaina went 10-for-13 from the field and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line and UH (11-17, 7-9 Big West) won on senior night for the ninth straight year.

UH guard Briana Harris, the lone Rainbow Wahine senior, finished with eight points in her final game at the Sheriff Center. Freshman forward Makenna Woodfolk contributed 10 points and seven rebounds and sophomore guard Olivia Crawford added nine points.

The Rainbow Wahine finished sixth in the Big West regular-season standings and will face Cal Poly in the first round of the conference tournament Tuesday at LBSU’s Walter Pyramid. UH and Cal Poly meet in the second game of the opening-round doubleheader scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Hawaii time.

Long Beach State (21-10, 12-4) was already locked into the second seed before tipoff and will have a double-bye into Friday’s semifinals. The 49ers’ hopes of claiming the top seed ended when UC Davis clinched the regular-season title with a win over Cal State Northridge.

Raven Benton led LBSU with 19 points. Guard Martina McCowan added 13 and Anna Kim finished with 11.

Harris, who provided a spark off the bench for most of her UH career, made her third start of her senior season and drained her first 3-point attempt of the night and the Wahine broke out to a 16-7 lead after one quarter.

After starting the game 3-for-14 from the field, LBSU went 7-for-11 to start the second period. But UH managed to hang on to the lead behind Toeaina’s eight points and went into halftime with a 32-27 edge.

The lead grew to 10 when Crawford came up with a steal and fed Lahni Salanoa for a fast-break layup.

The 49ers closed within three when McCowan hit her second 3-pointer of the quarter then scored in transition, cutting UH’s lead to 47-44.

McCowan was called for a technical foul after the play, drawing a heated protest from LBSU coach Jody Wynn.

Toeaina hit one of two free throws, then drained two more in UH’s ensuing possession and the Wahine took a 50-45 lead into the final period.

LBSU tied the game early in the fourth quarter on Kim’s 3-pointer, but UH reclaimed the lead when Harris drained the 100th 3-pointer of her career.

UH continued to fend off 49ers rallies and led 65-57 when Crawford hit a 3-pointer off an assist from Toeaina with 2:51 left.

Jessica Gertz answered with a 3 and LBSU closed to 65-62 on two Kim free throws with 1:55 left.

UH maintained a three-point lead and Harris was fouled with 15.1 seconds left, but missed both free throws. After a timeout, Benton’s 3-point attempt was wide and UH hung on for the win.

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