Gonzaga defeats Hawaii women’s basketball team

Laura Beeman knows that taking lumps in November can pay off in December, and beyond.

The University of Hawaii women’s basketball coach has never shied away from scheduling tough in early in the schedule. The result is often the wrong end of lopsided scores, but it’s an investment for the Big West season to come.

Gonzaga (6-1) dominated pretty much everything in beating UH 68-49 to take the championship of the Rainbow Wahine Showdown on Sunday before a few hundred fans at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.

But Beeman did note improvement from Saturday’s 73-57 debacle against Utah, in which the Wahine (2-5) turned the ball over 23 times. On Sunday they gave it away 15 times, compared to 17 by the Zags.

“You’re never happy about a loss, but I would tell you as a staff we’re pleased with the growth the team showed in this game,” Beeman said. “We played with better pace. We had less blown assignments defensively, offensively, and I thought our transition was pretty good at times today.”

UH’s Amy Atwell led all scorers with 16 points, and Nnenna Orji added 10.

“We have some good pieces, we gotta get healthy,” Beeman said. “It’ll be interesting to see what we’re like when we’re 13 deep.”

Gonzaga outrebounded Hawaii 36-24.

“We gotta get better on rebounding, period,” Beeman said. “They’re longer (than most conference opponents), so it prepares us for situations in the Big West.

“And then, (handling the ball) under pressure. Those are two areas we have to get better at.”

The Zags led 37-24 at halftime, partly because the ’Bows failed to take advantage of a Gonzaga scoring drought midway through the second quarter.

UH closed to 29-24 on a corner bomb by McKenna Haire with 2:55 to the break, but Kaylynne Truong led the visitors’ rally to the break with a traditional 3-point play off a strong baseline move, and a jumper two seconds before the buzzer.

Truong started at point guard in place of her twin sister, Kayleigh, who was injured, and responded with 14 points to share team-high honors with Abby O’Connor. She also had four assists, and was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

“She’s really confident,” Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier said of Kaylynne Truong. “I know she prefers playing with her sister, but even without her she’s very capable. She’s heady and obviously she can run our team. She’s like having an extra starter. It’s like a seamless transition. Some other positions if someone got injured it’d be different. I don’t think it’s because she’s her twin, I think she’s that good.”

Gonzaga led 18-16 after the first quarter, thanks to a buzzer shot by Melody Kempton. Kempton scored eight of her 13 points in the first quarter.

UH was hurt by poor free-throw shooting. The Wahine made just 1-of-6 shots from the line in the first half and 6-of-14 for the game. Gonzaga hit 12-of-17, with Truong hitting all five of her freebies.

Hawaii did not score in the second half until Daejah Phillips hit a jumper nearly 5 minutes into the third quarter. Phillips scored again immediately, but Gonzaga kept pace and led 45-28 with 3:31 left in the period.

Utah beat Eastern Illinois 93-77 in Sunday’s first game.

Troung was joined on the all-tournament team by Atwell, Kempton, Utah’s Brynna Maxwell and Kennady McQueen and Lariah Washington of Eastern Illinois.