UH beats UCSB to sweep California road trip

A near-historic defensive effort allowed the Hawaii women’s basketball team to emerge with a rare road sweep.

UH put the clamps on UC Santa Barbara to emerge from the Thunderdome with a 47-35 victory on Saturday, a successful follow-up to a 71-54 win at Cal Poly on Thursday.

Saturday’s contest featured little offensive flourish for either team but was notable in that it featured the third-lowest point total allowed in a road game in Rainbow Wahine history — and the fewest on the road since a 68-34 win at Sonoma State on Nov. 25, 1985. This came just two games after UH had one of its worst offensive outings ever, a 29-point dud in a home defeat to Cal State Northridge.

UH (7-11, 3-2 Big West) hardly shot the lights out in this one, either (34.8 percent), but was sublime in holding the Gauchos without a 3 (0-for-16). The hosts shot a putrid 23.5 percent overall.

UCSB’s top offensive player, Coco Miller, shot 0-for-12 for four points. Its No. 3 scorer, Danae Miller, shot 2-for-13 for six.

“I think it was defense, and I haven’t been able to say that a lot this year,” UH coach Laura Beeman said in a postgame phone interview. “Coco Miller … didn’t hit a shot, and they didn’t hit one 3 all night. So, for us to be able to lock her down the way we did and try to have other people beat us, but stay within our defensive scheme, was absolutely what we needed to do because we struggled on offense.”

Thirty-five was the fewest points scored by an opponent overall since UC Irvine posted that many in a 24-point Wahine win at the Stan Sheriff Center on Jan. 30, 2016.

It marked just the second time in seven years UH swept the Cal Poly-UCSB Central California road swing (the other was 2016) since rejoining the Big West in women’s basketball in 2012.

“I don’t know the last time we won these two road games,” Beeman said. “It’s just tough travel. For us to be able to first get to (San Luis Obispo) and get them very convincingly, and then turn around, with some tired legs and tough travel, and be able to win a game in a very ugly fashion, I don’t know if we do that three weeks ago. So I think the growth we’re having, it’s coming at the right time.”

Wing Leah Salanoa led UH offensively with 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting, while forward Kenna Woodfolk added 10 points and six rebounds.

UH came out strong but faltered in the second quarter, allowing UCSB (4-14, 1-4) to take a 21-19 halftime lead. But the Wahine surged late in the third to take a 32-27 lead into the final period. Woodfolk made five straight free throws in a 24-second span in the final three minutes to separate it.

Guard Courtney Middap appeared to hit her head on the court after driving to the basket and did not return. Beeman said she is “day to day.”

UH hosts UC Riverside (8-11, 2-3) on Wednesday.