Wahine lose another to academics

The Rainbow Wahine basketball team lost a second player from Mt. San Antonio College for the 2013-14 season due to academic reasons, a potentially devastating blow to Laura Beeman’s first full recruiting class and Hawaii’s depth this season.

Forward Shawlina Segovia stopped practicing with the Rainbow Wahine last week and was dropped from the roster on Monday once the NCAA denied an appeal for her participation this year. UH, which plays an exhibition against Hawaii Hilo on Wednesday, earlier learned center Ashley Burchfield was ruled out for the season.

"Ultimately, it falls on me," Beeman said. "This is my program and I chose to make decisions favorable for students. To give them an opportunity and not go out and recruit over them. And unfortunately that decision backfired on me, and ultimately the girls (on the team). Whereas at a certain point I could have said, ‘Looking a little risky. Let me go recruit over them.’ And they would have had nothing. I erred on (the other) side. Will I do that again in the future? Probably not.

"Ultimately I used poor judgment in when I should have shut it down. … It’s on me."

Burchfield, a 6-foot-2 center, and Segovia, a 6-1 power forward, were two of three players UH signed out of Mt. SAC, Beeman’s former program. On the strength of those two and guard Morgan Mason (the only one of the three to qualify for UH) the Mounties went 34-0 and won California’s junior college state championship for the second straight year in 2012-13.

But with Burchfield and Segovia out, UH is down to 11 players eligible to play in the 2013-14 season opener at Arizona State on Nov. 9. The team will get back two-sport junior center Kalei Adolpho once she finishes the UH volleyball season.

Burchfield was reclassified as part of UH’s 2014-15 class, while Segovia might continue practicing with the team this season toward future participation.

Beeman will have precious few big bodies to call upon. It will necessitate shifting natural wings like Shawna Kuehu and Destiny King into the post.

"We looked at this like, knock on wood, you get an injury during the season and you have to adjust," Beeman said. "You have to take a look at the situation and make the best of it."