StarBulletin.com

Rainbow Wahine breeze past BYU-Hawaii


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POSTED: Saturday, December 05, 2009

Back-to-back wins? A chance at a tournament title? The Hawaii women's basketball team struggled to remember the last time those happened.

Center Katie Wilson helped the Rainbow Wahine create memories of both with a career-high 17 points and five rebounds in 16 minutes as UH routed host Brigham Young-Hawaii 76-46 last night in the Hukilau Invitational in Laie.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore from Canada was the pit boss of an effective second Wahine unit. She shot 6-for-7, made all four of her free-throw attempts and discouraged the smaller Division II Seasiders from forays into the paint before a gathering of 151 at the Cannon Activities Center.

“;I think everyone on the team comes in with the mentality that we're hungry to play,”; said Wilson, who even stepped out for a corner 3-pointer. “;We want to win, and it doesn't matter if you're a starter or coming off the bench.”;

Dita Liepkalne added 16 points and six rebounds, Allie Patterson scored 10 and Keisha Kanekoa dished six assists. UH notched a 44-24 rebounding advantage and earned a chance to win the tourney title against BYU (4-2) today at 1 p.m. in Laie.

“;It's an exciting time for us,”; coach Dana Takahara-Dias said. “;But nonetheless, we're very happy with the contribution from all of our members on the team as we all saw considerable minutes.”;

UH (3-4) won consecutive games for the first time since February 2008 in shooting a season-best 55.1 percent from the field. It was also the first time the Wahine held back-to-back opponents to fewer than 50 points since February 2004, and the biggest UH margin of victory in more than two years. The Wahine defense also forced a season low in field-goal percentage (29.8) and points for the second straight game.

For once, a UH game on the road involved a (relatively) brief bus ride. The Wahine weren't fazed by having to wear their green visitors jerseys on their home island; they jumped on the D-II hosts right from the start. BYUH came away empty on 12 straight possessions over the first 8 minutes and faced an 18-3 hole the Seasiders (1-2) never scaled.

“;I think just the fact that one school's D-I and one school's D-II, (we) were not mentally prepared for that,”; BYUH coach Wendy Anae said. “;I think (we) were a little intimidated by the size of UH, and of course the speed. There shouldn't have been a deficit that early, and that big.”;

No Seasiders player scored in double figures. It was the first regular-season meeting between the teams since 1981; UH improved to 12-0 vs. BYUH.

 

HAWAII 76, BYU-HAWAII 46

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

     

     

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

     

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

     

 

RAINBOW WAHINE (3-4)
 fg-aft-arbpfptsatomin
Liepkalne5-83-460161118
Arbuckle1-41-45332522
Bungaite4-60-04093228
Kanekoa2-23-43276223
Dew2-53-47271219
Linton0-40-00201012
Wilson6-74-453170016
Galdones2-40-03141223
Patterson4-52-242100418
Ayabe1-30-04133215
Gaddis0-10-0110016
TEAM  2    
Totals27-4916-224417761821200

 

       

SEASIDERS (1-2)
 fg-aft-arbpfptsatomin
Fenenbock2-100-01260214
Gago4-151-13292337
Tompkison2-60-02154231
Kite0-32-21121112
Ika1-41-10532318
Romito1-42-23241221
Fakaosi3-40-11060113
Lawson0-10-00100212
Drew0-00-0110005
Hartley4-61-36190124
Sundin0-42-24223013
TEAM  2    
Totals17-579-122418461317200

Key— fg-a: field goals made-attempted; ft-a: free throws made-attempted; rb: rebounds; pf: personal fouls; pts: total points; a: assists; to: turnovers; min: minutes played.
Halftime— Hawaii 42, BYU-Hawaii 21
3-point goals— Hawaii 6-13 (Liepkalne 3-4, Wilson 1-1, Ayabe 1-1, Bungaite 1-3, Gaddis 0-1, Arbuckle 0-1, Galdones 0-2), BYUH 3-18 (Fenenbock 2-8, Tompkison 1-3, Gago 0-7). Steals— Hawaii 11 (Arbuckle 3, Dew 3, Kanekoa 2, Liepkalne, Bungaite, Galdones), BYUH 10 (Tompkison 5, Fenenbock 2, Romito, Fakaosi, Lawson). Blocked shots— Hawaii 3 (Arbuckle, Bungaite, Wilson). Officials— Tiki Kahoano, Ryan Sueoka, Lisa Mann. A— 151.