The margin between success and failure proved razor-thin against another team vying for a bye in the Big West women’s basketball tournament.
In Hawaii’s first game since losing top scorer and rebounder Makenna Woodfolk for the season, the Rainbow Wahine suffered a 53-48 loss to UC Irvine on Thursday at the Stan Sheriff Center. It knocked UH (11-14, 7-5 Big West) from a tie for second down to fifth with four regular-season games remaining.
The Wahine must now face first-place UC Davis (18-6, 10-1) on the road on a quick turnaround Saturday. It was just Tuesday that Woodfolk, a junior forward, announced she was leaving the program immediately due to her pregnancy.
“I don’t know what it was tonight, obviously a focus thing,” UH coach Laura Beeman said of her team’s 20 turnovers and especially aberrant 8-for-17 effort at the foul line in front of 516. “Proud of the girls for having a lot of grit tonight. It’s been a challenging week for several different reasons, and they showed up, played with a lot of heart.
“We have some things we have to clean up — we have to work some chemistry. It’s not easy when you lose a piece to your puzzle and you have to turn around and play 48 hours later.”
UCI (17-6, 7-4), a fullcourt-pressing, trapping team, stole the ball 14 times to avenge a 70-68 loss at the Bren Events Center on Feb. 7.
The margin was still two at halftime here, until the Anteaters’ Jordan Sanders (20 points, eight rebounds) scored three straight baskets to open the third quarter.
Senior Lahni Salanoa (nine points, 4-for-4 shooting) and freshman Myrrah Joseph (eight points) gamely tried to make up for Woodfolk’s absence up front.
“It’s something I should’ve done from the start, since I’ve been playing (this season),” Salanoa said. “Knowing that we need more from our post presence, it’s something I need to step up in.”
The Wahine crept within a point, 49-48, on their first 3s of the night from Leah Salanoa and Tia Kanoa with 3:31 left in the game.
The teams exchanged misses and turnovers until guard Irvine’s Lauren Saiki (14 points) hit a fadeaway shot in the paint with 26.5 seconds left for a three-point lead.
“It was big-time,” UCI coach Tamara Inoue said. “I think Lauren was due. She’s had a couple struggling games, and I thought tonight the point guard play she did, the way she attacked the basket and shot the ball, we need that all the time.”
UH’s Courtney Middap missed a step-back 3 and the ball went out of bounds with 14 seconds left. After a review, it was awarded back to Hawaii. But the Wahine couldn’t find anyone cleanly on the inbounds pass and Sanders stole it and was fouled.
“They did it last time, too,” Kanoa said of UCI’s pressure. “We just weren’t as composed this time. That was just the difference. We didn’t execute our schemes, and that starts with me and Courtney.” The two had 10 turnovers together.
The Wahine took another foul, then had one last chance. Jadynn Alexander (team-high 10 points) stole UCI’s inbounds pass and got the ball to Kanoa with about seven seconds left. Kanoa stepped back out behind the 3-point line, but her tying shot was partially blocked by Andee Ritter and UCI sealed the game at the line.
