UH torches nets, tops Montana State

Offensive efficiency carried the Hawaii women’s basketball team to an 81-75 win in a Monday night matchup with Montana State.

UH (5-3) shot a season-best 55.6 percent from the field, which proved vital against a prolific 3-point shooting squad in the Bobcats (5-4) of the Big Sky.

Three players in particular shredded the nets in front of 538 people at the Stan Sheriff Center. Sarah Toeaina (career-high-tying 25 points), Julissa Tago (21 points, six rebounds) and Lahni Salanoa (career-high-tying 19) shot a combined 25-for-36 from the field. Kenna Woodfolk came off the bench to add 10 points and five rebounds.

“The coaches don’t put pressure on any one of us,” said Toeaina, who shot 10-for-12 from the floor in playing all 40 minutes. “Playing within the offense, seeing J (Tago) hit a big 3, and knowing you don’t always have to pound it yourself, it’s relieving and it’s really fun.”

With 43.8 seconds left in a two-point game, Tago scored on a reverse layup on a set play when Woodfolk fed her on a backdoor cut.

“We worked on that like a million times in practice,” said Tago, who also had a reverse bucket in the first half. “Kenna made an amazing pass and got me in the right spot. I mean, that’s how we get our points, when we find each other.”

Tago, Woodfolk and Toeaina went 6-for-8 at the foul line to close it out, and UH snapped its two-game slide that came against Power Five teams in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown during Thanksgiving week.

UH turned it over seven times in the first quarter, then turned things around to finish with a season-low 11 giveaways.

“I felt like offensively, we actually executed well at times,” UH coach Laura Beeman said. “We were able to get some easy buckets. I think overall, our shot selection was pretty good.

“Defensively, we were a little bit rusty for some reason. Kind of had a hard time getting out on shooters. Remembering some of our schemes. But I’m going to echo the sentiments of Coach (assistant Courtney) Locke in that these guys find a way to win. When you’re doing that in the (nonconference), when you’re trying to work through bumps, that’s a great thing to see.”

Salanoa hit a top-arc 3 for a 70-64 lead with three minutes left, but landed awkwardly on her right foot and had to be helped off the floor. Beeman had no immediate word on her status for Friday’s home game against Idaho State (5-3).

The Wahine shot 63 percent in the first half — and led by a point.

That was thanks to eight 3-pointers by intermission for MSU, which split games with Utah State and Nevada on Maui last week. The Bobcats hit six of their 10 total in the second quarter, and went 0-for-6 in the fourth.

UH claimed a 41-40 halftime lead on Toeaina’s buzzer-beating drive. The Bobcats led for the last time midway through the third.

UH point guard Tia Kanoa picked up two fouls in the first two minutes and sat the rest of the half. She finished with four assists and one turnover.