LONG BEACH, CALIF. >> At least for one do-or-die night, the Hawaii women’s basketball team looked game for a deep run in the Big West tournament with an emphatic 71-50 defeat of Cal Poly on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid.

Riding guard Olivia Crawford’s career night — 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, including 5-for-7 from long range — the sixth-seeded Rainbow Wahine (12-17) took their fourth straight game, and their first step toward defending their title from last March.

They still must win three more times through Saturday to do it, with third-seeded Cal State Northridge up next today at 4 p.m. in Long Beach State’s Pyramid.

All-Big West first-teamer Sarah Toeaina was held to seven points against a Mustangs team (11-18) she dismantled twice in the regular season. But Crawford provided a huge lift, hitting shot after shot to keep her team afloat and countering Cal Poly center Hannah Gilbert’s 26 points on 12-for-23 shooting.

The 5-foot-5 sophomore — the shortest player on the team — even grabbed eight rebounds. Her previous scoring best was 13.

“Pretty much my teammates just giving me energy,” Crawford said. “Once I hit one, then I hit another. … I wouldn’t have done it without them.”

Briana Harris added 18 points on 3-for-3 3-point shooting but was content to take her cues from her backcourt mate. The Wahine hit a barrage of jump shots out of the gate and never trailed in the physical matchup.

“Once Liv gets going, it’s good for our team,” Harris said. “She was hitting shots that she normally misses, but I’m glad that she was hitting them today. We really needed that today. She brought the energy from the jump.”

They led UH’s 10-for-22 effort (45.5 percent) from downtown, including 6-for-10 after the break when the lead swelled and Cal Poly was forced to press, unsuccessfully. Meanwhile, the Mustangs were 0-for-11 from deep. It was the second time Cal Poly went 3-less vs. UH this season.

“Between Hawaii and Cal Poly, we’ve been fighting for lowest 3-point shooting percentage in the conference all season 27, 28 percent and they are 29,” Mustangs coach Faith Mimnaugh said. “So for them to shoot close to 50 percent is outstanding.”

Cal Poly became overly reliant on Gilbert’s effective inside game. The Mustang twins, Dynn and Lynn Leaupepe, combined to average 30 during the season but were held to 15 points between them on 5-for-26 shooting.

“If that’s going to be their scoring balance, I’m OK with that, the way we were distributing and sharing the ball,” UH coach Laura Beeman said.

In allowing Gilbert to go off but limiting the rest of Cal Poly’s standouts, the Wahine hope it’s a blueprint they can duplicate for a matchup with Big West player of the year Channon Fluker, who’s averaged a double-double of 17.4 points and 12.0 rebounds.

“She can get her points. She’s going to,” Beeman said. “We don’t have an answer for her. But if we can score, put a little pressure on, we can make the offense a little bit more tight … we gotta put the ball in the hole tomorrow.”

CSUN swept UH in the regular season, 67-56 in Northridge and 60-49 in Honolulu. The Matadors got a bye through the first round by virtue of their top-four standing.

“They beat us twice. It doesn’t sit well with me, it doesn’t sit well with my teammates,” Crawford said. “It’s going to be a battle, but I feel like we’re up to it.”