Wahine bounce back with comeback win

Satisfaction was far from guaranteed for Hawaii after falling behind by 18 points in the first half at Pacific.

Yet it was the Rainbow Wahine who got the better of their former Big West Conference foe, 81-70, on Sunday in Stockton, Calif., with a season high in points and their biggest comeback win under second-year coach Laura Beeman.

Topping it off, Pacific assistant coach Gavin Petersen was on Beeman’s coaching staff last year before switching schools in the offseason, giving the Tigers some extra knowledge of most of UH’s personnel.

"We tried to not make it personal," Beeman said in a postgame phone interview from the Alex G. Spanos Center. "It’s a ballgame. We needed to win it. We know we needed to go 1-1 on this road trip after losing to Oregon State (76-64 on Friday). So we tried to not make it personal. And Pacific’s a very, very good team. This is a very good win for us and I’m excited the girls had so much resolve and came back."

Senior forward Kamilah Jackson saw her double-double streak end at seven games, but she scored all 13 of her points in the second half amid foul trouble.

Junior wing Ashleigh Karaitiana scored a team-high 15, including a big 3-pointer to make it a 10-point game with 3:46 remaining.

UH (6-4) shot 51.7 percent from the field, including 61.5 percent (16-for-26) in the second half. It was the program’s biggest comeback since rallying from 21 points down to beat Utah State 72-71 in overtime on Jackson’s free throw on UH’s senior night in 2011.

"I’ve said this before — it shows their resolve. There’s no quit in this group," Beeman said.

Sophomore utility player Destiny King had 12 points, seven rebounds and a career-best five steals, and senior guard Sydney Haydel produced three steals, five rebounds and a career-best seven assists. Point guard Morgan Mason added 10 points off the bench.

Pacific (4-4), last season’s Big West regular-season champion now of the West Coast Conference, turned UH over early in building a 32-14 lead. But the Wahine gradually took better care of the ball against the Tigers’ press.

UH overcame the first-half deficit with an 18-1 run, then made up another 10-point Tigers lead posted a few minutes into the second half, catching and passing the host team by the midpoint of the period.

"Oregon State was definitely a tough loss," Haydel said. "But I think we all felt like we needed this win, going home with this one and going into the next two games with this feeling of triumph and sticking it out."

Guard Kiki Moore led the Tigers with 20 points on 9-for-15 shooting.

UH was to fly back to the islands Sunday night. It will take final exams and fly back out on Thursday for games at USC and Grand Canyon.