New experience for Wahine against No. 9 UCLA

True, Hawaii will make its second appearance at Pauley Pavilion in less than nine months today.

Yet calling the Rainbow Wahine basketball team’s visit to UCLA a “rematch” doesn’t quite fit the situation.

Four members of UH’s active rotation were on the roster when the Wahine were sent to Westwood for the first round of the NCAA tournament, and three saw playing time in the 66-50 loss to the Bruins on March 19. The rest were finishing up high school, still months away from their college debuts.

UCLA, meanwhile, returns nine letterwinners, including three starters, off of last season’s 26-9 team. The Bruins are 5-1 and ranked 10th in the Associated Press poll.

As such, UH coach Laura Beeman doesn’t see much carryover from the last meeting heading into today’s meeting.

“It’s not like, ‘Let’s go back and see what we’ve got; remember last year.’ It has nothing to do with that,” Beeman said. “This is a new team. There are fewer people that remember last year than don’t.

“For our young team to go into Pauley Pavilion, to see the history of John Wooden, to play against the No. 9 team in the country (in the coaches poll) on the road … I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for our kids to compete.”

The Wahine (2-5) face a top-10 team for a second straight Sunday when they tip off against the Bruins today at noon in Los Angeles.

UH closed the Rainbow Wahine Showdown with a 66-41 loss to No. 7 Mississippi State and waited seven days for another chance to face an elite opponent.

“Coach said it before the season, it’s steppingstones,” UH junior Sarah Toeaina said. “To play a high-ranked team early in the season, it not only boosts your level of play but it allows you to play a little more calm going into our conference.

“I think as a whole we’re looking forward to seeing how we match up against them. … To play against another top-ranked team, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Toeaina, senior guard Briana Harris and sophomore point guard Olivia Crawford played against the Bruins last March. Sophomore Leah Salanoa didn’t get into that game but will be part of a guard rotation taking on a UCLA backcourt led by junior point guard Jordin Canada.

Canada and 6-foot-4 forward Monique Billings are tied for the team lead with 18 points per game. Guard Kennedy Burke, who scored 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting against UH in March, is next at 12.8 ppg. UCLA’s opponents average just over 19 turnovers per game with the Bruins making more than 10 steals.

“Mississippi State was incredibly athletic, but UCLA is athletic in a different way,” Beeman said. “We had gaps to drive against Mississippi State — we’re not going to have that against UCLA. They’re going to close gaps quickly. … They’re going to play a lot of zone and that’s going to affect us because of the length.”

UH committed 30 turnovers in the loss to Mississippi State, yet Beeman saw signs of progress in last week’s tournament, which began with losses to San Jose State and Oregon.

Toeaina scored a career-high 24 points against San Jose State and is tied for the team lead with Harris at 11 points per game.

“I told them in the huddle (after Thursday’s practice) this is a great game … to show people who we are,” Beeman said. “We had some moments that were really pretty in that tournament, but we haven’t been able to put it together. So let’s go to UCLA and try to do something different and show people who we are and what we are.”