Waves roll over Wahine
POSTED: Saturday, January 03, 2009
Sometimes the giving spirit can extend beyond the holiday season.
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Such was the case last night for the Hawaii women's basketball team in its first game of 2009. The Rainbow Wahine committed a season-high 33 turnovers en route to a 65-52 loss to Pepperdine on the first day of the Jack in the Box Rainbow Wahine Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Kalaheo graduate Taylor Smith led the Waves (7-6) with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Pepperdine closed out the game on a 25-7 run that included three 3-pointers and three old-fashioned three-point plays.
“;We kept fighting, we had our ups an downs, but ... it started with our defense,”; said Smith, a 5-foot-11 senior from Waialua who earned her first double-double of the season.
Taylor played some high school playoff games with the Mustangs in the Stan Sheriff Center.
“;It's fun to be back and have my parents and friends (here),”; she said.
The return of forward Tara Hittle after her completion of UH volleyball season (eight points and six rebounds off the bench) wasn't enough to lift the Wahine (3-9) before a gathering of 172.
Some other dubious distinctions went along with the UH defeat.
Hawaii's 35 field-goal attempts was a school-record low as the Waves pressured the Wahine into errors at every turn. Pepperdine had more than twice as many chances, with 79 attempts, earned from 26 offensive rebounds and 17 fewer turnovers than the Wahine.
Pepperdine's Nakeya Isabell set a Sheriff Center women's college basketball record for steals with 10. The previous high was eight by two players (UH's Nani Cockett was one of them and did so twice).
It was also the first time in more than four years that no UH player scored in double figures. The last time was when Milia Macfarlane led the Wahine with nine points in a 70-48 loss to Fresno State on Dec. 30, 2004.
Hawaii could have used the scoring and play-making of point guard Keisha Kanekoa, who remained out with an ankle sprain.
But Hawaii coach Jim Bolla said there was no excuse for the lackluster play.
“;We had people who just didn't want to be in the game,”; he said. “;We knew they were going to put pressure on us. ... We had players hiding, not wanting the ball, not being aggressive.”;
Hawaii looked sluggish after an extended holiday break of more than five days. The Wahine turned the ball over 10 times within the first 10 minutes and looked in disarray until late in the first half, when they went on an 8-0 run to pull within 31-27 at halftime.
After quickly committing five more turnovers to start the second half, the Wahine buckled down. Hittle came back into the game and scored five points in a 10-0 run to put UH up 41-38 with 14 minutes left.
“;I definitely don't feel as rusty as I did (midseason last year),”; Hittle said. “;More familiar, I know the plays better now.”;
The Wahine went up 45-40 on two Rebecca Dew baskets—then the improved discipline disintegrated. Pepperdine profited from 10 Hawaii turnovers in the final 10 minutes to make its game-sealing push.
Pepperdine 65, Hawaii 52
Waves (7-3)
| fg-a | ft-a | rb | pf | pts | a | to | min |
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| Smith | 8-19 | 1-1 | 10 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 32 |
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| Ayim | 2-6 | 2-2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
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| Isabell | 2-6 | 0-0 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
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| Lelo | 2-6 | 1-4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 25 |
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| Ross | 5-14 | 0-0 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 24 |
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| Jackson | 0-5 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
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| Bryant | 4-9 | 1-1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 25 |
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| Barnett | 0-5 | 0-0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
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| Bell | 2-6 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
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| Huley | 0-0 | 2-2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 |
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| Jarrell | 0-3 | 2-2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 |
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| TEAM | 8 |
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| Totals | 25-79 | 9-12 | 45 | 25 | 65 | 13 | 16 | 200 |
Rainbow Wahine (3-9)
| fg-a | ft-a | rb | pf | pts | a | to | min |
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| Liepkalne | 0-3 | 3-4 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 38 |
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| Ilic | 1-4 | 2-2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 14 |
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| Cho | 1-2 | 5-6 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 40 |
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| Tinnin | 3-9 | 0-1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 24 |
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| Galdones | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
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| Linton | 0-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
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| Hittle | 2-3 | 4-9 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 21 |
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| Hamilton | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
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| Wilson | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+ |
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| Arbuckle | 3-4 | 3-6 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 26 Patterson | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Dew | 3-3 | 1-3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
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| Jones | 0-0 | 1-2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
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| TEAM | 3 |
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| Totals | 15-35 | 19-33 | 37 | 14 | 52 | 8 | 33 | 200 |
Key—fg-a: field goals made-attempted; ft-a: free throws made-attempted; rb: rebounds; pf: personal fould; pts: total points; a: assists; to: turnovers; min: minutes played.
Halftime—Pepperdine 31, Hawaii 27. Regulation—Pepperdine 65, Hawaii 52.
3-point goals—Pepperdine 6-21 (Ross 3-9, Bell 1-2, Smith 1-4, Isabell 1-4, Lelo 0-1, Jackson 0-1), Hawaii 3-10 (Tinnin 2-5, Galdones 1-3, Liepkalne 0-1, Ilic 0-1).
Steals—Pepperdine 20 (Isabell 10, Smith 3, Ross 2, Lelo 2, Ayim, Jackson, Bryant), Hawaii 7 (Ilic 2, Arbuckle 2, Liepkalne, Cho, Hamilton). Blocked shots—Pepperdine 2 (Lelo, Barnett), Hawaii 3 (Arbuckle 3).
Officials—Carla Fujimoto, Brian Yamasaki, Derik La Benz. Attendance—988.
