Even with the Big West basketball tournaments relocating to a new arena, familiarity will be a theme when Hawaii takes the floor today.

The top-seeded Rainbow Wahine will face CSU Bakersfield for the fourth time this season when they open the women’s quarterfinal round at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev.

CSU Bakersfield christened the 6,109-seat arena with a 63-62 overtime win over Cal State Northridge on Tuesday in the first sporting event held in the facility and will face UH in the Big West quarterfinals for the second straight year.

UH won last year’s meeting in Las Vegas 81-67 and swept an unusual three-game season series with CSU Bakersfield this season.

But past results matter little come tournament time.

“We’ve seen them three times this year and we’re very familiar with them, they’re very familiar with us, “ UH coach Laura Beeman said moments after today’s matchup was finalized.

“Bottom line, it’s going to come down to how we play (today). Our attention at this time of year is on Hawaii. … The other three games go out the window at this point.”

The Rainbow Wahine (17-9, 13-3 BWC) arrived in Las Vegas aiming to become the first UH women’s team to sweep the Big West regular-season and tournament titles with the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

“This is what I came back for,” said sixth-year UH forward Amy Atwell said of her sense of “unfinished business.”

“This is finally tournament time, this is what we’ve been preparing for all year. This is what preseason, what the regular season, conference was all about, getting ready for this tournament.”

While the UH players will get their first look inside the Dollar Loan Center when they arrive for warmups today, Beeman felt a bit at home when she took a look around the tournament’s new home.

“The arena’s beautiful, it reminds me of a mini-Stan Sheriff (Center),” Beeman said. “I think the kids will feel comfortable and familiar in there.”

UH and CSU Bakersfield (5-19, 3-11) added a nonconference game to the Roadrunners’ trip to Hawaii in January to fill a gap left when Cal Poly canceled its game with UH due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Wahine cruised to a 69-52 win against a rusty CSUB team emerging from a pause in the opener. They held on for a 73-66 win in the conference rematch behind Amy Atwell’s 33-point performance. UH completed the regular-season sweep with a 75-61 win at CSUB’s Icardo Center on Feb. 24.

So although the Wahine didn’t learn of their opponent until after their practice on Tuesday, the scouting report figures to be relatively fresh.

“Yes, we beat them three times, but they got stronger every time we played them,” UH guard Daejah Phillips said.

Phillips is back home for the tournament and will have one more reunion with CSUB guard/forward Jayden Eggleston, the Roadrunners’ leading scorer and a former teammate at Centennial High School in Las Vegas.

“She can drive and since high school Jayden has been able to shoot the mid-range everywhere,” Phillips said of Eggleston, a second-team All-Big West selection. “That was her specialty in high school and now in college. Super strong, versatile player.”

Beeman also has long-standing ties with CSUB coach Greg McCall going back to their days in the junior college circuit.

“I have the utmost respect for Greg. I’ve seen him in my JUCO days and my Hawaii days, so I’ve played a lot of basketball against him,” Beeman said.

UH has reached the semifinal round six times in the past nine years and appeared in the final three times, winning the title in 2016.

BIG WEST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

At Dollar Loan Center, Henderson, Nev.

CSU Bakersfield (5-19) vs. Hawaii (17-9)

>> When: Today, 10 a.m.

>> TV: None

>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM

>> Online: ESPN+

Schedule

Today

Quarterfinals

CSU Bakersfield vs. Hawaii, 10 a.m.

UC Santa Barbara vs. UC Riverside, 12:30 p.m.

Cal State Fullerton vs. UC Irvine, 4 p.m.

UC Davis vs. Long Beach State, 6:30 p.m.

Friday

Semifinals

Hawaii/CSUB winner vs. UCR/UCSB winner, 10 a.m.

UCI/CSF winner vs. UCD/LBSU winner, 12:30 p.m.

Saturday

Championship, 3 p.m.

BIG WEST WOMEN’S CAPSULES

1. Hawaii (17-9, 13-3)

Coach: Laura Beeman

Leaders: F Amy Atwell (17.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg); G Daejah Phillips (10.9 ppg, 64 assists)

Outlook: The Rainbow Wahine led the Big West in productivity and efficiency in averaging 66.1 points per game while shooting 42% from the field (including 34% on 3-point attempts) over their 16 Big West games. Beeman has distributed playing time among 10 active players who average at least 14 minutes per game. Atwell averages her 17.9 points per game while playing 31.2 minutes.

2. UC Irvine (19-10, 14-4)

Coach: Tamara Inoue

Leaders: G Kayla Williams (15.5 ppg, 4.1 apg); Chloe Webb (10.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg)

Outlook: Still classified as a freshman, Williams earned her second All-Big West first-team honor as the focal point of the Anteaters’ attack. She leads the team with 60 3-pointers made and 4.1 assists per game. Guard Jayde Cadee is a threat from long range as a 37% shooter behind the arc.

3. Long Beach State (19-7, 12-6)

Coach: Jeff Cammon

Leaders: F Maddi Utti (13.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg); G Justina King (11.6 ppg, 4.5 apg)

Outlook: Utti, the 2020 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year while at Fresno State, is shooting nearly 48% from the field and claimed the Big West’s Best Defensive Player award. King leads the league in assists. The Beach went 3-4 to close the regular season to drop out of the title chase.

4. UC Riverside (13-10, 10-6)

Coach: Nicole Powell

Leaders: G Keilanei Cooper (13.5, ppg); G Jada Holland (11.5 ppg, 4.1 apg)

Outlook: The Highlanders enter the tournament on a seven-game winning streak and vaulted into the top half of the standings. They’ve allowed a league-low 55.5 points per game since the start of conference play. Cooper earned first-team All-BWC honors and Holland can produce as a scorer and facilitator.

5. UC Santa Barbara (15-11, 9-8)

Coach: Bonnie Henrickson

Leaders: G Danae Miller (12.7 ppg, 3.0 apg); C Ila Lane (12.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg)

Outlook: While Miller runs the show from the perimeter, Lane, a 6-foot-4 junior, leads the Big West in rebounding and field-goal percentage (.588). Lane grabbed 18 rebounds in last Saturday’s loss to Hawaii. Guard Alexis Tucker (10.9 ppg) adds another scoring threat.

6. UC Davis Aggies (14-12, 8-8)

Coach: Jennifer Gross

Leaders: F Cierra Hall (15.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg); G Evanne Turner (12.0 ppg, 64 3-FGs).

Outlook: The Aggies saw their run of five consecutive Big West regular-season titles snapped, but still have the firepower to make a run at a third straight tournament title. Hall, the 2021 BWC Player of the Year, ranks second in the league in scoring and third in rebounding. Sage Stobbart, a 6-foot-3 post, led the conference with 52 blocked shots.

7. Cal State Fullerton (10-17, 5-12)

Coach: Jeff Harada

Leaders: G Lily Wahinekapu (14.5 ppg, 3.7 apg); F Carolyn Gill (7.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg).

Outlook: The Hawaii ties are strong with the Titans — who advanced with a 70-64 win over Cal Poly on Tuesday — with Harada (Hawaii Baptist Academy, ’89) and Wahinekapu (‘Iolani, ’21) leading the way. Wahinekapu, the Big West Freshman of the Year, ranks fifth in the league in scoring and fourth in assists. Gill was named the Big West’s Best Hustle Player and led the Titans with 16 points on Tuesday.

9. CSU Bakersfield (5-19, 3-11)

Coach: Greg McCall

Leaders: G/F Jayden Eggleston (15.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg); C Vanessa Austin (10.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg)

Outlook: Austin’s putback with less than a second left in overtime was the final answer in a back-and-forth duel with Cal State Northridge on Tuesday. She finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Eggleston set a career high with 29 points on 10-for-19 shooting. Guard Andie Easley commands attention beyond the 3-point arc.

Eliminated: No. 8 Cal State Northridge (9-19, 5-12), N0. 10 Cal Poly (3-22, 2-13)