The University of Hawaii women’s basketball team got defensive over its 0-2 start.
The Rainbow Wahine held San Francisco 28 points under its season average and got 16 points and eight rebounds from Brooklyn Rewers in a 65-51 victory in their home opener on Friday at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
Olivia Davies added 13 points off the bench and hit three of Hawaii’s 12 3-pointers, but it was the other side of the floor that really stood out against the Dons (1-3) before a crowd of 471.
“It was a collective effort,” Hawaii coach Laura Beeman said. “They absolutely bought in to what the scout said and what we needed to do both individually and as a team. We had some pretty tough practices this week to get them ready and to understand the pace of play at which we had to play this week.”
Imani Perez chipped in eight points, 10 rebounds and two assists and Lily Wahinekapu, who didn’t play in Saturday’s loss to Santa Clara, had eight points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals in 32 minutes.
She also led the charge individually on defense against USF’s Jasmine Gayles. The preseason All-West Coast Conference selection, who averaged 22.7 points in her first three games, finished with 16 points on 5-for-19 shooting.
“She’s a really good player and we had to focus in on scout and what she likes to do and she pushes and hunts for 3s,” Wahinekapu said. “It took a team effort to handle her.”
UH pushed a 29-27 lead to double figures in the third quarter with a 14-0 run capped by a Davies layup on a fast break for a 43-29 lead.
A steal and and a layup by Gayles in the fourth quarter cut the Rainbow Wahine lead to single digits.
Wahinekapu, who shot 1-for-11 in the opener, was 1-for-7 in this game when she drilled an open 3 from the top with 3:25 remaining to push the lead back to 12. The Dons never got within single digits again.
“To have at least one of my 3s go down, it felt good,” Wahinekapu said.
Rewers led Hawaii in scoring for the second straight game and was 3-for-5 from 3-point range while playing 34 minutes.
“It’s very freeing, but it also allows me to play to my strengths but also play to what the defense gives me,” Rewers said of UH’s offense.
Wahinekapu welcomed herself back to the court after a one-game absence with a step-back banker to open the scoring for UH.
A steal and a 3-pointer by MeiLani McBee put UH ahead 13-7 in the first quarter.
Gayles made her first shot from 3 after an offensive rebound as both teams fought to keep the other off the offensive glass.
USF outrebounded Hawaii 47-41 and had 14 on the offensive glass, but only three in the final 16:33 of the game.
“The biggest thing is when we really needed to tighten it up on the boards, they did,” Beeman said. “They only got five points in transition. This is a team that likes to run and likes to put points on the board, so I thought we did an outstanding job.”
Daejah Phillips, who came off the bench for the first time in the second quarter, made two free throws to match UH’s largest lead of the first half at 26-18 with 2:37 remaining.
The Dons responded with a 7-0 run to cut it to one before Ashley Thoms splashed a 3-pointer following a Wahinekapu offensive rebound.
Both teams shot an identical 32.3 percent (10-for-31) in the first half, with UH doubling up the Dons on assists (eight to four) and forcing 11 turnovers.
