Hawai’i win streak reaches double figures as defense shuts down Cal Poly

HONOLULU – Ten in a row. 

The University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team extended its winning streak into double digits on Thursday night, locking down visiting Cal Poly (10-12, 5-7 Big West) after the first quarter on the way to a dominant 67-43 victory. Redshirt sophomore guard Jovi Lefotu led the Rainbow Wahine, setting a new career high with 15 points in only 17 minutes off the bench.

Without the services of senior guard Lily Wahinekapu for the first time all season, Hawai’i (16-6, 10-2 Big West) got contributions from both the frontcourt and backcourt to make up for the loss of the star playmaker. Freshman center Ritorya Tamilo scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds for UH while Mia ‘Uhila had her second double-digit scoring output of the year, racking up 11 points and four rebounds while handing out three assists in 29 minutes of work.

Hawai’i held Cal Poly to a paltry 27.1% from the floor, suffocating another team in a year of defensive mastery by the Rainbow Wahine. In all, UH boasts the nation’s second-best scoring defense (52.4 ppg), third-best field goal percentage defense (33.4% FG) and 22nd-ranked 3-point defense (26.2% 3PT) after Thursday night’s romp. 

Despite Wahinekapu’s absence, the Rainbow Wahine started quickly as ‘Uhila strung together five straight points after a Ritorya Tamilo mid-range jumper got the scoring going, giving Hawai’i an early 7-2 lead at opening period’s midway point. Just as quickly as they had started the stanza, UH went cold as they closed out the quarter going 1-of-10 from the floor to enter the second quarter down by one. 

While the offense still was finding ways to warm again, Hawai’i’s defense turned up another notch in the second quarter. The hosting Rainbow Wahine held the Mustangs to 2-of-15 shooting in the frame, taking a 4-point lead into halftime after a nifty finish by ‘Uhila, who scored 9 of her 11 points in the opening 20 minutes.

“I thought the first half, we were a little bit out of sorts not having Lily on the floor,” Hawai’i head coach Laura Beeman reflected after the game. “Lily does a lot for us offensively, but I don’t think anyone recognized what she does for us on the boards … I think we just had to kind of figure out that we were going to be just fine without her [tonight].” 

While Cal Poly scratched in the first points out of the break, the Hawai’i defense picked right back up where it had left off in the opening half. Using smothering defense on one end, the Rainbow Wahine started to find an offensive rhythm with a refocused group. UH expanded its halftime lead to 13 with just over three minutes left in the third quarter, watching Lefotu and Kelsie Imai take turns scoring on the Mustangs’ defense until the visitors were forced to call for timeout. 

The post-halftime onslaught continued into the final frame, scoring 11 of the first 14 points of the fourth quarter to push the advantage above 20. Hawai’i would lead by as many as 27 points before calling off the dogs, securing the team’s 10th straight win with a 67-43 domination of the Mustangs. 

“Intensity,” Beeman said when asked about the biggest difference in her team between each half. “When we play with intensity and focus, we’re very, very good, and we did not have intensity and focus [in the first half], we had a little uncertainty … In the second half, they showed exactly who they are.”

Kelsie Imai scored nine points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out two more assists in her second start of the season, moving into sole possession of 8th-place on the University of Hawai’i career assists list (297). Brooklyn Rewers added 11 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench for the Rainbow Wahine, going a perfect 4-of-4 from the field in the second half after a tough shooting start.  

Annika Shah was the lone player to finish in double figures for Cal Poly, scoring 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting as the UH defense made the scorer uncomfortable from the opening tip. Sierra Lichtie added nine points and four rebounds for the Mustangs while Sydney Bourland chipped in with eight points and five boards. 

Hawai’i returns to action on Saturday, looking to avenge one of the two conference losses on the team’s ledger, hosting UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. HT. The Gauchos defeated the Rainbow Wahine in the islands back on January 2, 72-62, taking advantage of a short-handed UH team without the services of Kelsie Imai, Imani Perez and Jovi Lefotu.