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Two days after a lopsided loss, Hawaii tightened the Big West women’s basketball race by handing UC Irvine its first conference defeat on Saturday in Irvine, Calif.
UH forward Amy Atwell scored 20 points and Meilani McBee hit five 3-pointers to lead the Rainbow Wahine to a 77-73 win over the Anteaters in UH’s first road win of the season.
The Wahine (5-7, 2-1 Big West) shook off a 24-point loss at UC San Diego on Thursday to shoot a season-high 57% from the field in their first win at the Bren Events Center since 2017.
“Why we played the way we did on Thursday I will never know,” UH coach Laura Beeman said in a phone interview. “But the fact that they could turn it around and beat a good team on their home court, it’s a nice feeling and hopefully it gives us some confidence moving forward.”
UH’s win left the Big West without an undefeated team in conference play. Cal State Northridge knocked off Long Beach State earlier in the day and three teams (LBSU, UC Irvine and UCSD) ended the weekend at 3-1, with another three (Hawaii, UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge) at 2-1.
UH opened up a 16-point lead with 1:47 left in the second quarter, but UC Irvine (8-7) closed the half on an 11-0 run. UCI guard Kayla Williams scored 10 of her game-high 21 points in the third quarter and UH managed to hang onto a 52-51 lead entering the final period.
UH led 56-51 when UCI moved ahead with a six-point possession. Williams hit a 3-pointer from the wing and the Anteaters were given the ball back due to a foul on UH away from the ball. UCI then took the lead with 6:12 left when Konawaena graduate Caiyle Kaupu drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
McBee answered with a 3-pointer from the left corner to push UH ahead and added another from nearly the same spot to cap a 9-0 UH run with five minutes left.
“Meilani has the green light along with the potential,” Beeman said, “and that’s why we have been begging her to shoot the ball, because she’s such a great threat for us on the floor.
“We knew she was going to be a key for tonight in taking some big shots for us and she sure the heck did.”
The Wahine went 11-for-14 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and managed to hold on despite two UCI 3-pointers in the final 22 seconds.
McBee’s five 3-pointers tied her career high and accounted for her 15 points. Atwell went 6-for-11 from the field with one 3-pointer and 7-for-11 from the line. Daejah Phillips added 14 points on 4-for-5 shooting off the bench. She also led the Wahine with eight rebounds and three blocks, including a pivotal takeaway on a UCI breakaway with 56 seconds left.
“I think (Phillips) was pretty excited with the fact that she contributed in a very different way for us but a meaningful way,” Beeman said.
UH hit 24 of 42 field-goal attempts to post its highest shooting percentage since a 62.3% performance against BYU-Hawaii on Dec. 13, 2014. UH committed 21 turnovers, but UCI was able to convert just 13 points off the takeaways.
The Wahine next face CSU Bakersfield (1-8, 0-1) on Saturday at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. A scheduled game against Cal Poly on Thursday was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Mustangs program.
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