Hawai’i rolls by Eastern Washington for Bank of Hawaii Classic crown

HONOLULU – More hardware for the trophy case. 

The University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team won its third straight contest on Sunday, defeating Eastern Washington (1-5) in the final game of the Bank of Hawaii Classic, 67-55. MeiLani McBee led the way for the Rainbow Wahine with 12 points and three steals, swishing four 3-pointers throughout the afternoon to help push UH’s home winning streak to 13 consecutive games.

The 3-1 start to the season for Hawai’i is the best since 2019 and the first time that the Rainbow Wahine have gone 2-0 in the Bank of Hawaii Classic since 2017. 

The visiting Eagles led only once the entire afternoon, seeing Jaecy Eggers cash in from distance a minute and a half into action to take a 3-2 lead over the Rainbow Wahine. Hawai’i (3-1) retook the lead two minutes later with a Daejah Phillips lay-in and expanded the advantage with some airtight defense as EWU missed on 12 straight field goal attempts.

Down 12-3, Bella Hays snapped the scoring drought for Eastern Washington with 1:59 left in the first quarter. The Eagles rattled off seven straight points to bring the visitors within a pair, but Imani Perez drilled a three at the buzzer to send Hawai’i into the second quarter leading 15-10. 

Hawai’i would extend the lead to 21-13 by the six-minute mark of the second frame before a 6-0 Eastern Washington run pulled the Eagles back within two with 4:36 left in the half. Out of the mid-quarter media timeout, Phillips got UH’s offense settled back in with layup before a no-look pass from Lily Wahinekapu to Perez on the break gave Hawai’i a six-point advantage with 2:26 to play. 

The Rainbow Wahine took control of the game over the final minute of the half as back-to-back threes by MeiLani McBee, the second of which came off balance on one foot, sent Hawai’i into the locker room leading by double figures, 38-26.

McBee picked up right where she left off to begin the third quarter, swishing home her third triple of the day before Ritorya Tamilo got on the board for the first time to give Hawai’i the biggest lead of the day, 43-26.  

Eastern Washington stuck around, holding Hawai’i without a basket for five minutes as a pair of threes brought the Eagles closer. Brooklyn Rewers drilled a three of her own with 4:09 remaining in the third to end the Rainbow Wahine scoring drought and Tamilo rolled in a left-handed layup to end the frame and send Hawai’i into the fourth with a double-digit lead in hand. 

Hawai’i kept EWU at arms’ length throughout the fourth, wrapping up the victory late as McBee hit her fourth 3-pointer with 2:53 left and Wahinekapu finished off a layup assisted by Perez to win the Bank of Hawaii Classic title with a 67-55 win. The Rainbow Wahine won the tournament by point-differential over Saint Mary’s, who also went 2-0 on the weekend. 

Peyton Howard led Eastern Washington with 14 points, four rebounds and six assists on her way earning all-tournament team honors. Alexis Pettis and Jaecy Eggers each chipped in nine points apiece for the Eagles, who will host another Big West foe on Wednesday when CSU Bakersfield visits EWU. 

Lily Wahinekapu filled the box sheet with nine points, eight rebounds, four assists and a steal on her way to tournament MVP honors for Hawai’i. Imani Perez was the only Rainbow Wahine player other than McBee to eclipse double figures, posting 11 points to go along with a pair of steals and a block in the win. 

Ritorya Tamilo was held under double-figure points for the first time in her college career, finishing with eight points and two blocks in the true freshman’s third straight start for Laura Beeman. 

Hawai’i will return to action on Friday in the American Savings Bank Rainbow Wahine Showdown, hosting familiar face Avery Watkins and the Fresno State Bulldogs in the first of three games in three days. UT Martin and new national No. 1 UCLA will also participate in the Showdown, kicking off the round-robin tournament with a noon tip-off on Friday.