Painful as it may have been, Hawaii coach Laura Beeman found value in reviewing the footage of the Rainbow Wahine basketball team’s lopsided home loss on Wednesday.
“I don’t think we can throw it away because if we repeat that we’ll get beat just like that again,” Beeman said of UC Riverside’s 79-59 rout. “We have to remember it enough to not allow it to happen again, but not remember it enough to dwell on it. We have to move forward, but we can’t forget that game.”
RAINBOW WAHINE BASKETBALL
At Stan Sheriff Center
Who: UC Santa Barbara (11-12, 6-4) at Hawaii (8-14, 4-6)
When: Today 5 p.m.
TV: OCSports
Radio: 1420-AM
After a run of four wins in five games, the Wahine (8-14, 4-6 Big West) have lost three straight. They will try to find their groove again today when facing UC Santa Barbara (11-12, 6-4) at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Tipoff for the first game of a UH basketball doubleheader is set for 5 p.m. with the Rainbow Warriors’ matchup against UC Irvine to follow.
This week’s schedule gave the Wahine two days to regroup following the UC Riverside loss. Beeman said the Wahine watched film of the game and had a walk-through then returned to the arena for a full practice on Friday.
“(Thursday) was more of a day for them to reflect on what they did Wednesday night,” Beeman said. “I thought their energy (Friday) was great. I thought their effort was great. They tried to make some adjustments we didn’t do Wednesday night. I think they’re confident.
“We’re home and let’s hope we can get back the right track.”
UC Santa Barbara won the first meeting between the teams 74-62 on Jan. 21 at the Thunderdome in Santa Barbara, Calif. Forward Drew Edelman, a 6-foot-4 junior, led the Gauchos with 19 points on 9-for-13 shooting, and the Gauchos hit nine 3-pointers while outscoring UH 32-18 in the paint.
Guard Sarah Toeaina, UH’s leading scorer at 13.6 points per game, scored 22 that night. Beeman said UH’s focus is primarily internal going into the rematch.
“We have to show up and have effort. We can’t let little things break our back and fold,” she said. “Sure, we have a game plan, but it’s absolutely more about us and how we’re going to execute.”