Wahine hoops will be glad to see new faces following intrasquad game

After making its public debut in its Green vs. White scrimmage Sunday night, the Rainbow Wahine basketball team is eager to see some different colors on the court.

Third-year Hawaii coach Laura Beeman’s team introduced itself to the Stan Sheriff Center crowd with the intrasquad scrimmage and returns to the arena on Wednesday to take on Hawaii Hilo in its lone exhibition game prior to the regular season.

"We need to have a game on Wednesday just to see what our stuff looks like, see how it’s working, the chemistry. We absolutely need that measuring stick," Beeman said.

After the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team finished off a four-set win over UC Santa Barbara, the arena staff rolled up the Teraflex surface and transitioned the court into basketball mode.

The transition process for Beeman and her coaching staff then resumed as they continue to integrate eight newcomers into a program coming off back-to-back 17-win seasons, each capped by WNIT appearances.

The coaches mixed the returnees and first-year players for the scrimmage with the White, led by Shawna-Lei Kuehu’s 14 points and 12 rebounds, winning 58-45 in the dress rehearsal.

The veterans handled much of the scoring load, with senior Ashleigh Karaitiana hitting four of eight attempts from 3-point range and finishing with a team-high 18 points for the Green. Junior guard Morgan Mason added 11 points for the White while newcomer Dalayna Sampton grabbed 12 rebounds.

"Shawna and Ashleigh, we know they’re going to carry the bulk of the scoring at times, but if they’re off we have other people that can also score," Beeman said.

"Tonight it happened to be these two. Ashleigh’s 3-point shot looked fantastic. Shawna was able to get to the basket, elevate over people, which is what she does. I think any given night we have a lot of scoring threats, which is really exciting."

Beeman wanted the scrimmage to simulate game conditions for the first half, which was played under normal timing complete with media timeouts. The 20-minute second half was played with a running clock.

Beeman and associate coach Mary Wooley were neutral observers as assistants Alex Delanian and Dekita Williams led the Green and White, respectively.

Karaitiana and freshman Sarah Toeaina helped the Green jump out to a 21-11 lead before Kuehu sparked a 21-4 run for the White.

Kuehu, a preseason All-Big West selection, hit back-to-back jumpers in the lane to trigger the spurt and sophomore guard Marissa Wimbley’s second 3-pointer gave the White a 32-25 lead.

"Definitely a lot easier than practice," Kuehu said. "It was really fun, getting the girls out there and being in front of the lights and knowing how it’s going to feel when it comes to an actual game day."

Beeman was also pleased with Toeaina’s effort after the freshman finished with eight points and five rebounds.

"It’s hard to play against each other — they know what to expect — but it’s good to see some youngsters shine," Beeman said.