Sophomore Kasey Neubert and freshman Daejah Phillips scored 19 points each as Hawaii rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit for a 72-62 win over UC Santa Barbara on Friday night.
The traveling Rainbow Wahine improved to 4-4 in Big West Conference play (5-5 overall). UCSB dropped to 2-8 in league play (2-12 overall) and is on a six-game losing streak.
Hawaii lost the last time it played at UCSB, 57-56, last March 4. Of the three top Gaucho scorers that day, only Danae Miller played on Friday. Then-freshman Ila Lane, who led UCSB with 20 points, opted out of the 2020-21 season due to concerns about COVID-19.
Neubert double-doubled with 15 rebounds and shot 9-for-17 from the field. Jadynn Alexander added nine points and Olivia Davies tallied eight points.
Junior Taylor Mole paced the Gauchos with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Doris Jones chipped in 10 points.
The teams meet again today.
Amy Atwell scored the first five points of the game, and Alexander and Neubert scored buckets to help UH open an 11-5 lead.
A 3-pointer by Kodee Viena and a layup from Phillips gave the Rainbow Wahine a 24-16 lead late in the first quarter, their largest margin.
The Gauchos battled back with an 8-0 run sparked by Jones to tie it at 24. Moments later, they took their first lead on a free throw by Miller. After Alyssa Marin’s 3, UCSB led 30-26 near the midpoint of the second quarter.
With UH’s offense in a scoring drought, Marin’s drive and basket gave USCB its biggest lead, 32-26. That capped a 16-2 run.
Hawaii was scoreless for nearly 6 minutes until Alexander hit a foul shot with 27 seconds left in the first half. UCSB then got a three-point play from Anya Choice with 3 seconds left before halftime and walked into the locker room with a 35-27 lead.
The Rainbow Wahine roared back with a 10-0 run to begin the second half. Davies scored five points and Neubert tallied four as UH took a 37-35 lead. In all, there were 11 lead changes in the third quarter and Hawaii went into the fourth with a 52-49 lead.
Neubert scored five more points, including a 3, as the visitors opened a 59-51 lead with 7:44 left. After Davies splashed a 3, Hawaii had its biggest lead at 62-52 with 7:10 to go.
UCSB pulled within 62-57 on a 3 by Jones with 4:45 remaining, but free throws by Phillips and Kelsie Imai extended the lead back to 10 points in the final minute of play.
