DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Natasja Allen had 12 points last night against UCLA.
UH beats UCLA to The Hawaii Rainbow Wahine won their 14th consecutive season opener yesterday, but not without a tense finish created by UCLA's never-ending pressure.
win another opener
By Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.comHawaii coach Vince Goo has said over the years that basketball is a game of streaks. The only definable streaks in this nonconference game, one for each team, came in the final 4:19 of play. The Wahine streak provided just enough room for a 70-66 win in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort Classic before an announced crowd of 1,558.
Hawaii took the lead for good on two free throws by Natasja Allen with 14:35 to play, but the Wahine never enjoyed a comfort zone, even with a 10-point advantage late in the game, until Milia Macfarlane converted 1 of 2 free-throw attempts with 0.4 on the clock.
Lisa Willis, who scored 18 points for the Bruins (0-1), cut the UH lead to three points, 54-51, at the 4:19 mark. UCLA coach Kathy Oliver ordered a fullcourt press at this point.
"I didn't go to the press as early as I wanted to because we got into early foul trouble. We have a very up-tempo team and a lot of our offense is created by our defense," Oliver said.
For the next two-plus minutes, the Wahine handled the press well and built a 65-55 advantage with 1:34 to play while the Bruins, shooting mostly from the perimeter, went cold.
However, the Wahine lead almost disappeared in its entirety faster than it was built.
Willis hit a 3-pointer, Michelle Greco scored off a steal by Jamila Veasley and made it a three-point play with a successful free throw, and Willis banked in a short jumper. After Christen Roper's layup, Willis hit a 3-pointer from 24 feet out, leaving the Wahine with a 67-66 lead with 28 seconds left in the game.
"We stopped executing against the press," Goo said. "That's how we broke out to the 10-point lead. We handled their pressure. Then we started picking up our dribble in the backcourt, making bad passes, and we lost our composure."
Jade Abele was leveled in a frontcourt collision with Veasley as UH broke the press next time down. Abele, the sophomore from Gold Coast, Australia, making her first start for the Wahine, made both free throws for a three-point lead seven seconds from the end. It gave her 13 points, one behind Roper's team-leading 14.
There was still time for the Bruins to try a game-tying 3-pointer, but Greco's attempt missed and Macfarlane was fouled. She made her first try, then April Atuaia stole the ball after UCLA rebounded as the final horn sounded.
The first half and the first 16 minutes of the second half were even. Hawaii held four-point leads twice, 16-12 and 25-21, but UCLA, with strong rebounding at the offensive end, edged ahead at halftime 31-30.
"We just had first-game jitters, but it was good to play someone else," said Atuaia, who finished with 12 points.
"In the second half, we had a lot more intensity. We just had to forget the first half."
The Wahine offense struggled with the UCLA pressure man defense.
"They were overplaying us and we didn't attack their defense. We were tentative, didn't get the ball in deep and were hesitant," said Allen, who scored 12 points.
UCLA plays Sacramento State today at 2 p.m. and the Wahine meet the Hornets tomorrow night at 7.
Key -- fg: field goals; fga: field goals attempted; ft: free throws; fta: free throws attempted; min: minutes; reb: rebounds; a: assists; tp: total points. Hawaii 70, UCLA 66
Bruins (0-1) fg fga ft fta min reb a tp Nakase 2 8 0 0 28 1 5 4 Pitts 2 5 0 2 27 5 1 4 Arranaga 1 4 0 0 12 3 1 2 Jarrett 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 Greco 7 22 6 6 35 3 5 20 Bradley 0 1 0 0 9 1 1 0 Blue 1 8 0 0 22 3 3 2 Veasley 3 5 1 2 23 4 0 7 Willis 7 10 1 2 16 5 0 18 Tautolo 4 8 1 2 24 5 1 9 Pickett 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Team 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Totals 27 71 9 14 200 34 17 66 Wahine (1-0) fg fga ft fta min reb a tp Abele 4 7 4 4 31 6 4 13 Macfarlane 0 2 5 6 21 3 3 5 Roper 7 12 0 2 34 11 1 14 Jones 0 0 0 0 8 1 0 0 Gabriel 0 1 6 9 19 2 0 6 Sanders 1 1 2 4 17 6 1 4 Atuaia 5 9 2 5 33 1 2 12 Allen 4 7 4 4 25 7 0 12 Spooner 1 3 2 2 12 1 0 4 Team 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Totals 22 42 25 36 200 40 11 70
Halftime -- UCLA 31, Hawaii 30
3-point goals -- UCLA 3-12 (Willis 3-4, Greco 0-3, Nakase 0-2, Blue 0-2, Tautolo 0-1), Hawaii 1-3 (Abele 1-2, Macfarlane 0-1). Personal fouls -- UCLA 29, Hawaii 15. Technical fouls -- none. Steals -- UCLA 10 (Arranaga 3, Willis 2, Nakase, Greco, Blue, Veasley, Tautolo), Hawaii 4 (Abele, Sanders, Atuaia, Allen). Blocked shots -- UCLA 2 (Blue, Veasley), Hawaii 4 (Roper 3, Gabriel). Turnovers -- UCLA 11, Hawaii 19. Officials -- Brian Yamasaki, Pat Tanibe, Kirk Hottendorf. T -- NA. A -- 1,558.
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