Daejah Phillips tapped into a simple source of energy in the Rainbow Wahine basketball team’s exhibition win over Hawaii Pacific on Wednesday. “I didn’t want to lose to them again,” Phillips said. With the Rainbow Wahine trailing the Sharks 44-38 at halftime, the memory of her college debut against the Sharks last December helped fuel Phillips in a second-half surge that helped power UH’s 86-76 comeback win at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Back in December, Phillips posted 11 […]
By Paul Honda The evolution of the 2020-21 Hawaii women’s basketball team is in full view. After a stunning 70-60 win over first-place UC Davis on Friday, the Aggies returned the favor on Saturday with a vice-grip style 54-46 win over the Rainbow Wahine. UC Davis clinched the top seed in the upcoming Big West Conference Tournament. Hawaii will be the No. 5 seed and will meet Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday in Las Vegas. The Rainbow Wahine (8-7, 7-6) […]
By Paul Honda The Rainbow Wahine hoopsters are growing up before Coach Laura Beeman’s eyes. In a decisive 57-43 win over Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, the young squad showed a new level of cohesion, especially on defense. After allowing CSUF to cut a 23-point deficit to one point on Friday — a narrow 49-47 win for UH — it was a different tone just 24 hours later. The Titans shot 0-for-10 from 3 as the Rainbow Wahine brought tighter […]
The Rainbow Wahine took a big step forward, which is not always easy for a young team. Hawaii secured its first win of the Big West Conference season, 49-47, over a gritty Cal State Fullerton squad on Friday, eschewing baby steps. The Wahine got 17 points from redshirt freshman Olivia Davies, who was 7-for-11 from the field. Jadynn Alexander tallied 14 points as UH attacked a sticky Titans man-to-man defense. Coach Laura Beeman was the constant, with the same tone […]
By Paul Honda A week ago, Laura Beeman saw her Rainbow Wahine struggle in an 82-74 loss to Division II national powerhouse Hawaii Pacific. Hawaii’s loss to the long-range gunners of HPU was an eye-opener in the first of two nonconference games on the COVID-19 ravaged schedule. It wasn’t in the plan to lose, but Beeman had already chosen the right path for her team, which includes six freshmen. She let them travel home for Thanksgiving weekend. “We knew coming […]
On this date in 2004, UH’s annual opening of practice went completely overboard. From Riley Wallace dressing up like Darth Vadar to Bobby Nash as Indiana Jones to Tricia Nishimoto playing the part of UH strength coach Tommy Heffernan, a good time was had by all. Wallace’s preference was his three assistant coaches dressed up as the Three Amigos. Nash hit four 3-pointers but Jeff Blackett scored 11 points to win the Green-White scrimmage. Deonte Tatum won the dunk contest […]
The following appeared on the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s breaking news: Jessiya Villa, a freshman point guard for the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team, confirmed he has entered the transfer portal. Villa redshirted this season after returning from a two-year church mission in Ghana. “I entered this morning,” Villa said. “I’m officially a transfer. … In this business, in this realm, you just gotta keep yourself happy, and do what’s best, not only for yourself, more so, for everyone. I respect […]
They could’ve won it all. That was still how some members of the Hawaii women’s basketball team felt upon arrival back at the Manoa campus on Friday morning, fresh off a disappointing flight home due to the cancellation of the Big West and NCAA tournaments because of the coronavirus threat. The Rainbow Wahine saw their season come to an unfulfilling end at 16-14 after beating Cal State Fullerton convincingly, 72-59, in the Big West second round Wednesday, earning a date […]
