The final road trip of 2021 presents Daejah Phillips a chance to play at home before the holidays.

The University of Hawaii guard is back in Las Vegas this week with Rainbow Wahine basketball team and the graduate of Centennial High School will face the hometown team when UH (3-5) takes on UNLV (7-3) today at Cox Pavilion.

“It’s very important to me,” Phillips said of being able to spend part of the holiday season at home. “As much time as I can get with (her family) I value it.”

UH coach Laura Beeman annually schedules a break to allow the Wahine players to return home for Christmas. They’ll disperse following today’s game then reconvene on Dec. 26 in advance of the Big West opener at UC Riverside on Dec. 30.

Creating opportunities for Wahine players to perform in their hometown also factors into Beeman’s scheduling decisions.

“Any time you can take your players back home it’s a great experience for them and more so it’s a great experience for their families that don’t have the opportunity to come out here,” Beeman said.

“That’s how we recruit, so that within your four years we’re going to try to get you home so people that can’t get to Hawaii can come see you play. To be able to do it before Christmas for Daejah is really fun.”

With final exams behind them and holiday festivities awaiting later in the week, the Wahine left on their second road trip of the season focused on building momentum heading toward the conference season.

Today’s game ends a 16-day gap since UH’s 76-63 home win over Loyola Marymount.

Phillips was among a sizable group of Wahine players to miss time due to injuries early in the season. Beeman said the Wahine worked on refining their on-court chemistry with a healthier roster.

“We’ve been able to have some full practices, or close to it, and that hasn’t happened since July,” she said.

Forward Amy Atwell, one of two UH players to start all eight games, has paced the offense throughout the season with 17.8 points per game and 17 3-pointers. Point guard Nae Nae Calhoun also has eight starts and leads the Wahine with 32 assists.

Phillips ranks third on the team at 11 points per game and ranks fourth with 4.2 rebounds per contest. She’s also tied for the team lead with 11 steals and is tied for second with 15 assists.

In the span since since the Wahine opened the season with two lopsided losses at San Diego and USC, Atwell said the Wahine have shown “so much growth, individually across the board and as a team.”

“I think we really didn’t show who we are as a team in those first two games, a lot of nerves and first-game jitters came in,” Atwell said. “But I think the growth we’ve shown from that game to just last week … is a really great sign and were only going to continue to grow.”

UNLV center Desi-Rae Young has scored in double figures in all 10 games and leads the Rebels with 16.7 points per game on 51% shooting and an average of 6.7 rebounds. Guard Essence Booker complements Young with 15.1 points with 13 3-pointers.