The Hawaii women’s basketball team signed Savannah Reier, a 5-foot-6 guard with two years of eligibility, to its 2018 class this week.
As a sophomore at Shelton State (Ala.) Community College, Reier, a Tuscaloosa native, scored 13 points per game in 24 minutes per game for a team that went 36-1.
“Savannah will bring a level of winning and intensity to our program,” coach Laura Beeman said in a UH release. “Her ability to run the floor, defend and hit open shots will be a perfect fit for our team. Her positive and ‘all about the team’ attitude will complement the existing culture in our locker room. We are excited she will be joining our Ohana.”
Reier joins Myrrah Joseph on the incoming Wahine class. Joseph, a 5-foot-10 forward out of Carson (Calif.) High, signed in the fall period.
UH softball wins fourth straight
Rachael Turner’s second home run in as many games and Dana Thomsen’s complete-game performance lifted the University of Hawaii softball team to a 3-2 win over UC Santa Barbara on Friday in the opening game of a Big West series in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Turner hit the first homer of her career to cap UH’s sweep of Cal Poly a week ago and the senior launched her second on Friday. Her two-run shot in the third inning gave the Rainbow Wahine (26-16, 4-3 Big West) a 3-0 lead over UCSB. Thomsen had her streak of scoreless innings snapped at 14 in the third inning and UCSB (15-25, 2-5) closed to within a run in the bottom of the sixth. But Thomsen retired the Gauchos in order in the seventh to seal UH’s fourth straight win.
Danielle Garcielita went 3-for-4 in the leadoff spot and scored UH’s first run on Cheeks Ramos’ sacrifice fly in the top of the first.
The series concludes today with a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m.
Florence, Asing post heat highs in Australia
Two-time defending World Surf League champion John John Florence posted a 14.60 on the first day of the Margaret River Pro in Margaret River, Australia.
The North Shore native’s score won the fourth heat, topping competitors Mikey Wright (11.87) and Wade Carmichael (8.50).
Keanu Asing, another Haleiwa native, won the first heat of the day with a 10.70.
Tavares, Casey make weight for UFC fights
Waiakea alumnus Brad Tavares and Maui resident Cortney Casey both made weight and will compete in tonight’s UFC Fight Night event in Glendale, Ariz.
Tavares (16-5, 11-4 UFC) weighed in at 186 pounds for his middleweight bout against Krzysztof Jotko (19-3, 6-3) that will open the televised portion of the preliminary bouts on KHON at noon.
Tavares is ranked No. 15 at 185 pounds and Jotko is No. 13.
Casey (7-5, 3-4) weighed in at 115 pounds for her strawweight fight against No. 7-ranked Michelle Waterson (14-6, 4-2), which will open the main card on KHON at 2 p.m.
Casey is ranked No. 10 at 115 pounds and is coming off a loss to Felice Herrig by split decision in December.
Waterson won her first four fights in the UFC before she was submitted by current women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. She then dropped a unanimous decision to Tecia Torres in December.
Cartwright to be honored on Tuesday
The Friends of Alexander Joy Cartwright Jr. will hold their annual birthday tribute gathering for the “Father of Modern Baseball” on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Oahu Cemetery.
Cartwright, who spent the majority of his life in Oahu, is credited by the National Baseball Hall of Fame with developing the essential rules of the game that are used today.
This year, Gordon Sakamoto, former Associated Press bureau chief in Honolulu, and Lew Matlin will be honored as well after both died in the past year. Along with the late Honolulu Advertiser sportswriter Ferd Borsch, Sakamoto and Matlin were the driving force behind the celebration of the event.
